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Cannabis texting rules by state and province

Dispensary text marketing regulations differ by state and province. A dispensary group that texts customers in several states answers to a different cannabis regulator in each one, and some of those rules reach a text message. Each page here names the regulator, lists the rules that bear on texting customers and links each rule to its primary source.

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A budtender at a dispensary counter holding up a phone with a loyalty card on it.

Some state rules name text messages outright

Missouri’s rule defines advertisement to include texting. Vermont’s guidance allows texts and emails only to age-verified customers who signed up in store. California requires age affirmation before any direct, individualized message, electronic ones included. Each page cites the rule and links to it.

Dispensary text message marketing laws start with consent

Before any state rule, text only people who opted in, and keep the record of when and how they did. Our guide to SMS opt-in and consent for dispensaries covers what to record. For billboards, social media and other channels, see our cannabis advertising rules beyond texting.

Each US state page cites its regulator’s own rules

Each regulator named below is cited on its state page, with a link to the regulator’s site and the date the sources were last read.

Not listed: Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. None had dispensaries selling under a full medical or adult-use program when we did the research in October 2026. Texas runs a low-THC program only, and Nebraska has not licensed dispensaries yet.

Approval and loyalty rules differ most between states

In Canada, federal law applies first and provinces may add rules

The Cannabis Act limits promotion and Canada’s anti-spam law sets consent and unsubscribe rules for every province. Health Canada notes that provinces and territories may have additional rules. See Canadian cannabis texting rules by province.

Sticky SMS, by Sticky Cards, the loyalty and marketing platform for cannabis dispensaries, files your 10DLC registration with The Campaign Registry and your Canadian short code, with no filing fee. Most stores are live in 1 to 2 days.

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Frequently asked questions

Do state cannabis advertising rules cover text messages?

Some name them outright. In Missouri, the rule defines advertisement to include texting. In Vermont, guidance limits texts to age-verified customers who signed up in store. California requires age affirmation before any electronic, individualized message. Each state page cites its own rule.

Why is my state not listed?

Either it had no dispensaries selling under a full medical or adult-use program when we did the research in October 2026, or its page is still being checked against the primary sources. The states left out are named under the list above.

Who files the carrier registration?

We do. Sticky SMS files your 10DLC registration with The Campaign Registry and your Canadian short code, with no filing fee. Most stores are live in 1 to 2 days. See short codes, toll-free and 10DLC compared.

Does Sticky SMS handle each state’s rules for me?

No. How your state’s rules apply to your program is for you and your counsel to decide.

How current are these pages?

Each page shows the date its primary sources were last read.