10 FDA Cannabis Advertising Violations to Avoid

Here’s a quick guide to keep your cannabis ads FDA-compliant:

Don’t make unproven health claims
Avoid marketing CBD as a dietary supplement
Label THC content correctly
Don’t advertise to minors
Provide accurate product information
Steer clear of unapproved drug claims
Use testimonials properly
Include required disclaimers
Don’t make unsupported claims about cannabis effects
Avoid misbranding products

Violation	Consequences	Best Practices
False health claims	Fines, shutdowns	Focus on general benefits
Improper CBD marketing	FDA warnings	Call products "hemp-derived"
Wrong THC labels	Legal issues	Show exact THC amounts
Ads targeting kids	Business closure	Use plain packaging
Misleading info	Product seizures	Be honest about effects
Unapproved drug claims	Criminal charges	Avoid medical promises
Misused testimonials	Fines	Check claims with science
Missing disclaimers	FDA action	Include clear warnings
Unsupported effects	Penalties	Use proven facts only
Misbranded products	Recalls	List ingredients correctly

Follow these guidelines to keep your cannabis ads legal and safe for consumers.

1. Making Unsubstantiated Health Claims

FDA Compliance

The FDA has strict rules about cannabis advertising. Making health claims without proof is a big no-no. The FDA must review and approve any product said to have medical uses. Since cannabis isn’t approved for food and supplements, it’s key to avoid health claims in ads.

Legal Issues

Making health claims without proof can lead to big problems:

Fines
Business shutdowns
Warning letters from the FDA

The FDA takes action against rule-breakers.

Consumer Safety

False health claims can put people at risk. Consumers might:

Use products in unsafe ways
Stop taking prescribed medicine
Rely only on cannabis products for serious health issues

This can lead to health problems.

Marketing Tips

To stay safe, cannabis companies should:

Do	Don’t
Be honest about products	Claim to cure or treat diseases
Focus on general benefits	Make specific health promises
Have science to back up claims	Exaggerate product effects

By following these tips, companies can:

Avoid legal trouble
Keep customers safe
Sell products responsibly

2. Marketing CBD as a Dietary Supplement

FDA Rules

The FDA doesn’t allow selling CBD as a dietary supplement. This is because CBD is used in an approved drug called Epidiolex. The FDA has taken action against companies that break this rule.

Legal Problems

Selling CBD as a dietary supplement can cause big issues:

Money fines
Closing your business
Getting warning letters from the FDA

Customer Safety

Selling CBD as a dietary supplement can put customers at risk. They might use products that aren’t approved for health problems, which can be dangerous.

Good Marketing Practices

To stay out of trouble and keep customers safe, cannabis companies should:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Call CBD products "hemp-derived"	Say CBD is a dietary supplement
Talk about general hemp benefits	Make health claims about CBD
Follow FDA rules	Ignore FDA warnings

3. Improper Labeling of THC Content

FDA Rules

The FDA has clear rules for labeling THC in cannabis products. Labels must show:

Exact THC amount
CBD amount
Total THC or CBD after heating

Not following these rules can lead to FDA problems.

Legal Issues

Wrong THC labels can cause:

Fines
Warning letters
Business shutdown

Cannabis companies must follow FDA rules to avoid these issues.

Customer Safety

Correct THC labels keep customers safe. People need to know how much THC is in a product to use it safely. Wrong labels can lead to unsafe use.

Good Marketing Practices

To follow FDA rules and keep customers safe, cannabis companies should:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Put correct THC amounts on labels	Leave out THC info or give wrong info
Use clear symbols	Ignore FDA label rules
Make labels easy to read	Use confusing labels
Follow FDA label rules	Make false claims about THC

4. Advertising to Minors

FDA Rules

The FDA has strict rules about cannabis ads aimed at young people. Companies must make sure their ads don’t appeal to kids or teens. This means:

No cartoon characters
No bright colors
No packaging that looks like regular products kids use

Legal Problems

Breaking these rules can lead to big trouble:

Possible Consequences
Fines
Warning letters
Business shutdown

Companies need to follow these rules to avoid problems and keep a good name.

Keeping Kids Safe

Ads for cannabis that appeal to kids can be bad for their health. Companies need to market their products in a way that doesn’t:

Appeal to children
Make kids want to try cannabis

This means using clear labels and honest ads.

Good Marketing Practices

To avoid advertising to kids, cannabis companies should:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Use plain packaging	Use cartoon characters
Make clear labels	Use bright colors
Target ads to adults only	Make ads kids can see
Be honest in ads	Try to trick people

5. False or Misleading Product Information

FDA Rules

The FDA doesn’t allow cannabis companies to make false or misleading claims about their products. This means:

All info must be backed by science
No tricks or lies in ads
Labels and marketing must be honest

Legal Problems

Breaking these rules can lead to:

Consequence	Description
Warning letters	FDA sends official warnings
Fines	Companies must pay money
Criminal charges	Legal action against the company
Product seizures	FDA takes products away
Business closure	Company must shut down

Customer Safety

Wrong product info can hurt customers. They might:

Use products the wrong way
Take too much
Get hurt

Good Marketing Practices

To follow FDA rules and keep customers safe, cannabis companies should:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Use facts backed by science	Make claims without proof
Be clear about what products do	Use tricky words to mislead
Label products correctly	Hide info about ingredients or effects
Be honest about product limits and risks	Pretend products are better than they are
Check and update product info often	Ignore FDA rules

6. Unapproved New Drug Claims

FDA Rules

The FDA doesn’t allow companies to say their cannabis products can:

Diagnose diseases
Cure illnesses
Treat health problems
Prevent sickness

Without FDA approval, these claims break the law.

Legal Problems

Companies that make these claims can face:

Problem	What it means
Warning letters	Official FDA notices
Fines	Paying money as punishment
Criminal charges	Legal action in court
Product seizures	FDA takes products away
Business closure	Company must shut down

Customer Safety

Wrong claims can hurt customers. They might:

Use products the wrong way
Take too much
Get sick

Good Marketing Practices

To follow FDA rules and keep customers safe:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Use facts backed by science	Make claims without proof
Be clear about what products do	Say products cure diseases
Label products correctly	Hide info about ingredients
Be honest about product limits	Pretend products are better than they are
Check and update product info often	Ignore FDA rules

7. Improper Use of Testimonials

FDA Rules

The FDA has rules about using customer testimonials in cannabis ads. Companies must:

Not make health claims without proof
Avoid saying products can diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent diseases
Not use testimonials that talk about "fighting off" health problems

Legal Problems

Using testimonials wrongly can cause:

Problem	What it means
Warning letters	FDA sends official notices
Fines	Companies must pay money
Criminal charges	Legal action against the company
Product seizures	FDA takes products away
Business closure	Company must shut down

Customer Safety

Wrong testimonials can hurt customers. They might:

Use products the wrong way
Take too much
Get sick

Good Marketing Practices

To use testimonials the right way:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Check testimonials with science	Make health claims without proof
Focus on product features	Say products can fix health problems
Be honest and clear	Talk about "fighting off" health issues
Check and update testimonials often	Ignore FDA rules

8. Failure to Include Required Disclaimers

FDA Rules

The FDA says cannabis companies must put specific warnings on their product labels and ads. These warnings tell customers about possible risks and limits of cannabis products. Not including these warnings can lead to FDA problems.

Legal Issues

Companies that don’t use required warnings may face:

Problem	What it means
Warning letters	FDA sends official notices
Fines	Companies must pay money
Criminal charges	Legal action in court
Product seizures	FDA takes products away

Companies might also be responsible if customers get hurt because they didn’t know about product risks.

Customer Safety

Required warnings keep customers safe. Without them, people might:

Not know about product risks
Use products the wrong way
Take too much
Get hurt

Good Marketing Practices

To follow FDA rules and keep customers safe, cannabis companies should:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Put clear warnings on labels and ads	Hide or leave out warnings
Make warnings easy to read	Use small or hard-to-read text
Avoid false claims	Make misleading statements
Check and update warnings often	Ignore FDA rules

9. Avoiding Wrong Claims About How Cannabis Works in the Body

FDA Rules

The FDA says cannabis companies must have good science to back up claims about how their products work in the body. These claims might say things like "helps you sleep" or "good for your joints." Without proof, the FDA can punish companies.

Legal Problems

Companies that make claims without proof can get in trouble:

Problem	What it means
Warning letters	FDA tells company to stop
Fines	Company must pay money
Court cases	Company goes to court
Products taken away	FDA takes products off shelves

Keeping Customers Safe

Wrong claims can trick people about what cannabis does. This can make people:

Use products the wrong way
Take too much
Get sick

Good Ways to Market

To stay out of trouble and keep customers safe, cannabis companies should:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Use science to back up claims	Make claims without proof
Put clear warnings on products	Hide or leave out warnings
Use simple, clear words	Use words that make products seem like medicine
Check and fix labels often	Ignore what the FDA says

10. Misbranding Products

Misbranding products breaks FDA rules for cannabis companies. It can cause legal trouble, hurt customers, and damage a company’s name.

FDA Rules

To avoid misbranding, cannabis companies must:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Name hemp and CBD ingredients correctly	Make health claims without proof
Put company name and address on labels	Leave out important info
List all ingredients and amounts	Use unclear or wrong labels

Legal Problems

Companies that misbrand products can face:

Problem	What It Means
Warning letters	FDA tells company to fix issues
Fines	Company must pay money
Court cases	Company goes to court
Product recalls	Company must take products off shelves

Customer Safety

Wrong labels can hurt customers. They might:

Not know what’s in the product
Have allergic reactions
Use products the wrong way
Get hurt

Good Marketing Practices

To avoid misbranding, cannabis companies should:

Do This	Don’t Do This
Use clear words on labels	Make claims without proof
List ingredients correctly	Hide or leave out info
Follow FDA rules	Ignore FDA guidelines
Check labels often	Use tricky or false words

Conclusion

To sum up, the cannabis industry must follow many rules. Companies need to know FDA guidelines to avoid breaking advertising rules. The 10 common mistakes we talked about can cause big problems:

Problems	Effects
Legal issues	Fines, court cases
Bad reputation	Customers lose trust
Customer harm	People might get hurt

It’s important for cannabis companies to:

Stay up-to-date on rules
Make sure their ads follow FDA guidelines

By knowing what not to do, businesses can avoid common mistakes like:

Making health claims without proof
Putting wrong labels on products
Advertising to kids

Instead, companies should focus on:

Good Practices	Benefits
Clear, honest ads	Builds trust
Customer safety	Prevents harm
Education	Helps customers make good choices