Canna Mom Relax? Weed Brands Offer Sweet Releaf for Mother's Day

In a moment of blissful self-care, a woman in a fluffy white bathrobe reclines on a comfy chair and takes some deep breaths. Cucumber slices are strategically placed over her eyes for added refreshment and destressing. While this may be a familiar marketing image for day spas and travel packages, this campaign comes from cannabis brand Ayr Wellness, pegged to Mother’s Day with the tagline, “Canna mom escape? She’ll THC-you later.” The social and digital effort includes a series of eye-catching photo illustrations that blend women in everyday activities—working, relaxing, partying—wearing bright green full-face masks artfully crafted from cannabis buds and leaves. To accompany the shots, Ayr has written snappy slogans like, “Canna mom recover from a long day? She’s all about that sweet releaf,” and “Canna mom let loose? With a little help from her secret sauce.” Ayr is one of a number of brands latching onto Mother’s Day as a way to communicate to a coveted and expanding demo. Women are among the fastest-growing consumer groups in the industry, with Flowhub reporting that weed sales to women increased by 55% in 2021. Recent research from Akerna found that the female market share on 4/20, the most revered day on the cannabis calendar with a traditionally bro-heavy focus, topped 40% for the first time. And a study from Receptor Brands and YouGov found that among heavy cannabis users—those who consume three times a week or more—58% are moms. Ayr, along with such brands as Verilife, Insa, LadyKind and others, aim to celebrate canna moms for roles inside and outside the industry and for their buying clout. “In the CPG world, women—and mothers in particular—are widely recognized as the single most powerful consumer demographic, making purchase decisions not only for themselves but often for the whole family,” Jeff Finnerty, vice president of marketing for Ayr Wellness, told Adweek. “We are ready to embrace that.” And by zeroing in on moms in daily routines—with a cheeky, head-turning creative concept—Ayr is trying to bust a few stereotypes. “It’s our goal to see cannabis use by mothers normalized in the same way that drinking wine has been for so many years,” Finnerty said. Insa, meantime, launched a dedicated feature on its website to highlight its professional canna moms like Lauren, who says, “Cannabis has helped me tremendously over my lifetime—calming my anxiety, soothing the pain from my migraines and even making it possible for me to eat while undergoing chemotherapy.” Her colleague Lisa has found cannabis to be a rewarding career: “Helping to break down barriers and allowing people to have this option makes me feel like I am making a difference.” The holiday promotions, like the women they’re targeting, are taking various forms. For instance, LadyKind, a premium CBD brand, dropped a gift guide that pairs its tinctures and topicals with products recommendations like Calm subscriptions (for the “mindful mama”) and Gymshark workout gear (“for the active mama”). And Verilife, at select dispensaries in New York, Massachusetts, Illinois and Pennsylvania, has kicked off a “Make Mother’s Day Matter” campaign. It’s centered around the Matter.lite line of milder weed that targets “canna curious moms interested in exploring the benefits of cannabis or for experienced users interested in a lower potency” option, according to Erika Salgado Guerra, chief marketing officer for parent company PharmaCann. The effort intends to acknowledge women as “nearly 50% of the market” overall, Salgado Guerra said, and heralds “moms everywhere who have embraced the benefits of cannabis.” 67% of Cannabis Fans Say It Makes Them Better Parents

Cannabis

Canna Mom Relax? Weed Brands Offer Sweet Releaf for Mother's Day

Cannabis brands are increasingly tailoring their marketing to a growing, coveted demo

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T.L. Stanley

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