Text within the rules and bring regulars back: the dispensary texting handbook
Dispensary texts can be blocked when consent, registration or the wording falls short of carrier rules. This handbook shows you how to text within those rules. The compliance guides cover consent, banned words, Canadian law and blocked texts. The mechanics guides explain number types, MMS, list growth and measuring results. The playbooks are automations with example texts.
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Compliance guides cover consent, Canadian law and what gets texts blocked
Read these before your first send. They cover express consent and the confirmation text, the words that put a cannabis text at risk, CASL and the Cannabis Act for Canadian stores, and the order to fix blocked texts in.
- Why texts get blockedThe five causes of blocked dispensary texts, and a checklist to fix them.
- Texting in Canada: CASL and the Cannabis ActConsent, identification, unsubscribes and the limits on promotion.
- SMS opt-in and consentGetting consent right: sign-up wording, confirmations, records and opt-outs.
- Banned words in cannabis textsWhat carriers filter and safer ways to say it.
More on registration and compliance:
- How 10DLC registration works for cannabis dispensaries
- Cannabis SMS compliance tips
- Compliant cannabis marketing, channel by channel
- Every SMS compliance article
Mechanics guides cover number types, list growth and measuring results
How texting works day to day: which number type fits your store, when a picture is worth sending as MMS, where to grow your list, and how to tie a tap on a link to the order that follows.
For what texting costs, read SMS costs in cannabis marketing.
Playbooks give you automations to run this month
Each playbook says who the texts are for, when they send and what to measure, with example texts written as store updates. Every one has a note for Canadian stores.
- Keyword and QR sign-upTurn every visit into a new text subscriber.
- Win-back flowsBring lapsed regulars back with a short sequence.
- Birthday and loyalty milestonesTexts that mark a birthday or a loyalty milestone.
- 420, 710 and holidaysPlan the busiest days of the year without getting filtered.
- New store launchTexts that fill a new location in its first weeks.
- Re-permission an old listConfirm consent before texting a list you have not used.
- Writing texts that drive visitsThe shape of a text that arrives and gets a visit.
Advertising rules change from state to state and province to province
Each state and province page sums up how its cannabis advertising rules bear on texting, with the regulator cited. Start with cannabis texting rules by state and province.
Build your text program with us
Book a time and we will walk through your list, your POS and the texts you want to send, on a video call with a real person.
Book a demoFrequently asked questions
Where should I start?
With consent and registration. Read the opt-in and consent guide and the guide to why dispensary texts get blocked before your first send, then pick a playbook.
Who is the handbook for?
Dispensary owners and marketing leads who text customers or plan to, from a single store to a group of several.
Is the handbook legal advice?
No. It is general information with the primary sources cited. Ask a lawyer about your own program.
Do the playbooks work in Canada?
Yes, with changes. Every playbook has a note for Canadian stores, and most show a Canadian version of the example text with no purchase-linked reward, as the Cannabis Act requires.
How often is the handbook updated?
Each page shows the date it was last updated. We review pages when carrier or regulatory rules change.
What is Sticky SMS?
Sticky SMS, by Sticky Cards, is text marketing for cannabis dispensaries. We file your 10DLC registration with The Campaign Registry, with no charge for the number or the registration. The guides apply whichever texting tool you use.
Sources
- The Campaign Registry, Resources and FAQ (opens in a new tab), accessed October 18, 2026