July 27, 2023 Code Green: QR Codes in Cannabis
QR codes were invented in 1994, but anyone who remembers the paperless menus of pandemic-era restaurants may have noticed they’ve gained mainstream status in the last couple of years. Those little checkerboard barcodes seem to be everywhere nowadays–and people are using them. In 2022, close to 90 million smartphone users scanned a QR code with their mobile device; that number is projected to grow to over 100 million users by 2025.
In a smartphone-fueled world, the ease of QR codes offers consumers a simple pathway to the information they need in only a few clicks. See the black and white pixelated square, scan it with your camera app, and presto: there appears a URL with longer-form information about the art you’re looking at, the event you’re interested in, or the menu you’re ordering from. In cannabis, a space with lots of regulations and the customer’s high need for information, QR codes are super useful.
QR codes are rapidly becoming the standard in recreational and medical cannabis. In some states, they’re the law. California, Indiana, Utah, Oregon, and New York are a few states enforcing compliance laws around QR codes on or around THC/CBD products. These codes act as a safeguard for consumers to verify the certification of cannabis products or the dispensaries they’re patroning. As cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, statutes on the required use of QR codes vary from state to state. Check out your state government’s policy for more info (and check out our blog for more on packaging requirements by state!)
Whether required by law or not, some producers may find QRs particularly useful, as these itty bitty codes can save space on jars or on storefront menus. Additionally, QR codes offer an almost limitless supply of engagement and marketing opportunities for folks in an industry where it pays to have a technological edge. Alongside linking to official certification and other regulated information, QR codes offer a host of services for a cannabis producer or distributor. Here are just a few ideas:
Get eyes on your website and socials: Show off that branding! Use QRs to direct people to your website and social media profiles to earn their trust/engagement/follow, etc.
Provide education for your community: Help your customers understand your product, its proper use, your organization’s story, or your ethos by directing them to a dedicate web page.
Link customer feedback forms: Send customers to a web form to engage them directly and collect feedback on their experience of your product/brand/location, etc.
Host your newsletter sign-up: Link subscribe form to keep people in the know and build that list!
Invite opt-ins for text marketing: Mobile marketing is the future; get people on your text list with a simple one-click process and send your latest dispatches straight to their pocket.
Highlight specials, event information, or the Secret Menu: Use QR codes to showcase your brand’s latest deals, events, pop-up opportunities, or membership exclusives.
It’s impossible to say whether QR codes will have ultra staying-power in our society at large, but for now, one thing is clear: they’re useful & engaging in cannabis. Whether for legal compliance, a space-saver on packaging, or a direct line for customers to your marketing materials, it’s a good idea to implement QR codes sooner rather than later.