420 Warrior
Well-Known Member
Doobons.com says dispensaries need to stand up for themselves and start putting out positive messages to counter the negative comments US Attorneys are feeding the news. The online medical marijuana resource offers four basic things dispensaries should do to build and protect their reputations.
While US Attorneys have started coming out to news reporters to defend their actions against the medical marijuana industry-which they describe as out of control and full of people profiteering off of anyone who wants to get high, including children-medical marijuana dispensaries have mostly kept silent, hoping that the federal angels of death will bypass their thresholds. Online medical marijuana resource Doobons.com says the lack of response is hurting the industry.
"Dispensaries are not doing much, if anything, to tout themselves as responsible members of the community who are helping seriously ill patients," said John at Doobons. "Everyone in the medical marijuana industry should be engaged in public relations right now."
John points out that when reports recently surfaced of child labor violations, punishing workloads, and toxic exposure to hazardous materials at a facility that makes Apple Products-Apple executives didn't hide in a closet and pray it would all blow over. Instead, Apple communicated their concerns, investigation results and positive changes to eliminate the problem.
"A lot of the dispensary owners I speak with are scared-so they are backing into the shadows like people who distributed marijuana did before the passage of medical marijuana laws," said John. "What they don't realize is that this is a great opportunity to tell the other side of the story."
Doobons recommends the following four things dispensaries should do to build and manage their reputations:
#1 Alert the Media
Dispensaries can issue press releases about the admirable work they are doing and address the concerns raised by US Attorneys and advocates against medical marijuana.
"It's important to stick to the facts and give specific examples," says John. "But avoid conjecture and making claims that could be perceived as conspiracy theories."
#2 Work Your Social Media Channels
Facebook and Twitter are great and inexpensive tools for connecting with your audience. Use them to discuss breaking medical news that supports marijuana as good medicine and respond to both positive and negative political news.
"Many dispensaries are using social media to announce things like their deal of the day, but outsiders may see 'Get a free gram of 'Trainwreck' with the purchase of every eighth' as a straight up drug deal," says John. "Instead, share patient success stories and educate followers about the other integrative/holistic health care services you offer."
#3 Advertise Responsibly
Advertise in publications and websites that present marijuana as a medication, and not a recreational drug.
"What kind of opinion is a US Attorney going to draw about you after seeing you advertise a high THC strain named 'Green Crack' in a magazine full of scantily clad girls and young people smoking bongs?" asks John.
#4 Rally the Troups
US Attorney Melinda Haag told NPR last week during an interview that her office gets letters every day voicing objections and concerns with things happening in the medical marijuana industry. Medical marijuana supports should be doing the same.
"Everyone who comes into a dispensary should leave with an envelope addressed to a US Attorney and instructions for how to compose a letter advocating for medical marijuana," says John. "These letters need to clearly describe how the use of marijuana has improved their debilitating health issues."
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: San Francisco, CA
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Contact: www.sfgate.com
Copyright: © 2012 Hearst Communications Inc.
Website: www.sfgate.com
While US Attorneys have started coming out to news reporters to defend their actions against the medical marijuana industry-which they describe as out of control and full of people profiteering off of anyone who wants to get high, including children-medical marijuana dispensaries have mostly kept silent, hoping that the federal angels of death will bypass their thresholds. Online medical marijuana resource Doobons.com says the lack of response is hurting the industry.
"Dispensaries are not doing much, if anything, to tout themselves as responsible members of the community who are helping seriously ill patients," said John at Doobons. "Everyone in the medical marijuana industry should be engaged in public relations right now."
John points out that when reports recently surfaced of child labor violations, punishing workloads, and toxic exposure to hazardous materials at a facility that makes Apple Products-Apple executives didn't hide in a closet and pray it would all blow over. Instead, Apple communicated their concerns, investigation results and positive changes to eliminate the problem.
"A lot of the dispensary owners I speak with are scared-so they are backing into the shadows like people who distributed marijuana did before the passage of medical marijuana laws," said John. "What they don't realize is that this is a great opportunity to tell the other side of the story."
Doobons recommends the following four things dispensaries should do to build and manage their reputations:
#1 Alert the Media
Dispensaries can issue press releases about the admirable work they are doing and address the concerns raised by US Attorneys and advocates against medical marijuana.
"It's important to stick to the facts and give specific examples," says John. "But avoid conjecture and making claims that could be perceived as conspiracy theories."
#2 Work Your Social Media Channels
Facebook and Twitter are great and inexpensive tools for connecting with your audience. Use them to discuss breaking medical news that supports marijuana as good medicine and respond to both positive and negative political news.
"Many dispensaries are using social media to announce things like their deal of the day, but outsiders may see 'Get a free gram of 'Trainwreck' with the purchase of every eighth' as a straight up drug deal," says John. "Instead, share patient success stories and educate followers about the other integrative/holistic health care services you offer."
#3 Advertise Responsibly
Advertise in publications and websites that present marijuana as a medication, and not a recreational drug.
"What kind of opinion is a US Attorney going to draw about you after seeing you advertise a high THC strain named 'Green Crack' in a magazine full of scantily clad girls and young people smoking bongs?" asks John.
#4 Rally the Troups
US Attorney Melinda Haag told NPR last week during an interview that her office gets letters every day voicing objections and concerns with things happening in the medical marijuana industry. Medical marijuana supports should be doing the same.
"Everyone who comes into a dispensary should leave with an envelope addressed to a US Attorney and instructions for how to compose a letter advocating for medical marijuana," says John. "These letters need to clearly describe how the use of marijuana has improved their debilitating health issues."
News Hawk - 420 Warrior 420 MAGAZINE
Location: San Francisco, CA
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Contact: www.sfgate.com
Copyright: © 2012 Hearst Communications Inc.
Website: www.sfgate.com
