How to Become a CMA Member: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re interested in joining the Cannabis Marketing Association (CMA) and boosting your career in cannabis marketing, here’s a quick guide to get you started:

Why Join? Gain access to educational resources, networking opportunities, industry advocacy, a specialized job board, and the latest news in cannabis marketing.
Steps to Become a Member: Visit the CMA website, select a membership type, fill out your information, and pay the annual fee.
Membership Benefits: Includes webinars, workshops, online courses, a job board, networking events, and discounts on services.
Eligibility: You need at least 2 years of marketing experience in the cannabis industry and a commitment to ethical marketing practices.
Membership Fees: Range from $99/year for individuals to $1,999/year for large companies, with several tiers in between.
Maximizing Membership: Be active in the community, set personal growth goals, and encourage colleagues to join.

This guide is designed for those seeking a straightforward path to CMA membership and making the most out of their membership benefits.

Eligibility Criteria

To join the Cannabis Marketing Association (CMA), you need to meet a few key requirements:

Professional Experience

You should have at least 2 years of work experience in marketing for the cannabis industry. This could be at a cannabis company, working for an agency, or even as a freelancer.
Your job must focus on marketing for cannabis brands, products, or services. Experience in other fields doesn’t count towards this requirement.
If you’re new to cannabis but have marketing skills from other areas, you might still qualify. You’ll need to show examples of your work that display your skills.

Commitment to Ethical Practices

Everyone in CMA needs to follow a set of rules about how to market ethically. This means being honest with customers, representing products truthfully, respecting people’s privacy, and staying away from harmful content.
By joining, you agree to stick to these rules. If you don’t, you could lose your membership.

Membership Level

CMA has memberships for individuals and for companies. Pick the one that matches your situation.
If you have a company, you can get memberships for several employees. Small businesses can have up to 5 people, and larger ones can include up to 20.
Choose the membership tier that fits the size of your business so everyone who needs access can get it.

Basically, if you’ve worked in cannabis marketing for a couple of years and agree to market responsibly, you should be good to go. Check the CMA website for all the details on how to become a CMA member and get started enjoying the benefits.

Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a CMA Member

1. Research and Understand CMA

First, visit the Cannabis Marketing Association (CMA) website to see what they’re all about. Check out their goals, what they stand for, and their rules to make sure it’s a good match for you.

Look at the different types of memberships they offer, from just you to your whole company, and see how much it costs.

Find out what being a member gets you, like learning opportunities, meeting people in the industry, and getting help with your job.

2. Evaluate Membership Benefits

Think about what CMA offers and how it can help your career:

Learning stuff – like online classes and big meetings with talks
Meeting people – through local gatherings and big CMA events
Help with your job – like a job board and discounts on tools
Having a say – in rules about cannabis marketing

Make sure the cost makes sense for what you’ll get out of it.

3. Prepare Application Materials

Ready to join? Get your stuff together:

Your info – like your name, job, and contact details
Your resume – showing you’ve worked in cannabis marketing for 2+ years
Examples of your work – to show off your skills
A short letter – saying why you want to join and what you hope to get from it
References – people who can say you’re great at what you do

Make sure everything looks good and says why you’d be a great member.

4. Submit Membership Application

Go to the CMA website, make an account, and fill out the form with all your details.

Upload your resume, work examples, letter, and references.

Check everything twice to make sure it’s right, then send it off. You’ll get an email to say they got it.

5. Application Review Process

CMA will look at your application to make sure you fit what they’re looking for. It takes about 3-4 weeks.

They’ll check your experience and might call your references. If they need more info, they’ll ask.

6. Complete Acceptance Process

If you’re accepted, you’ll get an email inviting you to join. Say yes and pay the membership fee.

You’ll get set up with everything you need to start using your membership.

And that’s it! Now you’re a CMA member and can start using all the cool stuff they offer to help your career.

Membership Fees

CMA has different prices for joining, depending on if you’re signing up alone or with your company. They want to make sure everyone can afford to join, no matter where they are in their career.

Individual Memberships

Joining CMA by yourself? Here’s what you need to know:

Associate Membership – $99/year
- Great if you’re just starting or have less than 2 years of experience
- You can join some events, watch webinars, and talk to others in the online community
Professional Membership – $199/year
- For those with 2-4 years of experience
- You get to use all the learning materials, join any event, and use the job board
Executive Membership – $399/year
- For the pros with over 5 years under their belt
- You get everything in the Professional level, plus special invites and discounts

Corporate Memberships

If your whole team or company wants to join, here are the options:

Startup – $499/year
- For small companies with less than 15 people
- Covers up to 5 employees
Agency – $999/year
- For marketing agencies and similar businesses
- Covers up to 10 employees
Enterprise – $1,999/year
- For big companies
- Covers up to 20 employees

With a company membership, you also get extra perks like free job listings, a profile in the CMA directory, and discounts on sponsorships.

Whether you’re joining on your own or with your company, CMA has different membership options to suit your needs and budget. For all the details on what each membership offers, it’s best to check their website.

Maximizing Membership Value

Once you’re a member of the Cannabis Marketing Association (CMA), it’s smart to use everything they offer to the fullest. Here’s how to make sure you’re getting the most out of your membership:

Be an Active Participant

It’s not enough to just sign up. You need to get involved.

Go to events – Make it a point to attend workshops, meetings, and other events. They’re good for learning and meeting new people.
Be part of the online community – Ask questions, offer help, and look for job opportunities online. Regularly talking to others helps you make friends and find useful contacts.
Learn new things – Take advantage of the courses CMA offers. They can help you get better at your job and even add new skills to your resume.
Use the tools available – Don’t ignore the job board, service directory, or discounts. They’re there to help you save money and find work.

Being active and showing up is crucial. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out.

Set Growth Goals

Know what you want to achieve with your membership:

What do you want to learn? – Pick a few areas you want to improve in, like learning more about social media or how to write better. Use CMA’s resources to help you.
Who do you want to meet? – Aim to connect with new people regularly. You can do this by going to events or chatting online.
What’s your career plan? – Whether it’s landing a new job or moving up in your current one, use CMA’s network and job board to make it happen.

Keep track of how you’re doing and adjust your plans as needed.

Recruit Others

Getting your coworkers to join can make your membership even better because you can:

Go to events as a group – More people means more chances to meet others. It’s also more fun.
Learn together – If you take a course, share what you learned with your team. Everyone gets smarter that way.
Work on projects together – Use each other as sounding boards for ideas, help each other out, and test things together.

Bringing friends into CMA makes everything more valuable. You can help each other out and make the most of what CMA offers.

By following these steps, you can really make your CMA membership work for you. Remember, it’s all about what you put into it. Get involved, set goals, and maybe bring a friend or two along for the ride.

Conclusion

Thinking about joining the Cannabis Marketing Association (CMA)? It’s a smart move for anyone in cannabis marketing wanting to get better at their job. Here’s a quick look back at what we covered:

CMA helps you learn more with classes and videos you can watch anytime.
You can meet people who do the same work as you at events.
CMA fights for the cannabis industry and helps you find jobs with a special job board.
Membership costs depend on if you’re joining by yourself or with your company, ranging from $99 a year for one person to $1,999 a year for big companies.

Here’s how you become a CMA member, step by step:

Check out the CMA website to see what they offer.
Think about if it matches what you want for your career.
Get your application ready with things like your resume and examples of your work.
Fill out the application on the CMA website.
Wait for about a month while they look at your application.
If they say yes, accept the invitation and pay the membership fee.

To really benefit from being a member, join in on activities, set goals for what you want to achieve, and consider getting your work buddies to join too. Being part of CMA can give you the tools and connections you need to do great in cannabis marketing.