Text your customers within District of Columbia’s cannabis advertising rules

District of Columbia has a medical-only cannabis program

Retail licensing and advertising rules are enforced by the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA), under the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board. For billboards, social media and other channels, see our cannabis advertising rules beyond texting.

These District of Columbia rules bear on texting customers

• No images, objects or content designed to appeal to children (22-C DCMR 5801.1).
• No false or misleading statements about advertised prices or health benefits (22-C DCMR 5801.2).
• No statements encouraging use or purchase without a patient registration (22-C DCMR 5801.3).
• No claims that a business or its products comply with Initiative 71 (the 2014 possession law) (22-C DCMR 5801.4 (final rulemaking, 73 DCR 003195, March 6, 2026)).
• Sales only to registered qualifying patients and caregivers, which defines who a retailer can market purchases to (22-C DCMR 5709.5).
• Retailers must make current prices available, including by posting them on their website (22-C DCMR 5616.4).
• Retailers with an education tasting endorsement may not make unsubstantiated medical claims (Medical Cannabis Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-332), sec. 7d(c)(3)).
• Retailers with a safe-use endorsement may not hold an organized game or contest on the premises that involves consuming or awarding cannabis, or advertise such practices on or off the premises (Medical Cannabis Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-332), sec. 7c(d)(5) and (6)).

Start with consent, your store name and an opt-out line

• 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.
• Put your store name first and an opt-out line on every text.
• Keep product details, prices and offers on an age-gated page rather than in the text, and check the wording against our list of banned words in cannabis texts.

Sticky SMS, by Sticky Cards, the loyalty and marketing platform for cannabis dispensaries, files your 10DLC registration with The Campaign Registry, with no charge for the number or the registration, and most stores are live in 1 to 2 days. How District of Columbia’s rules apply to your program stays with you and your counsel.

Work with Sticky Cards in District of Columbia

• Run a dispensary, CBD or vape shop in District of Columbia? Book a demo to see Sticky SMS.
• Run a texting agency in District of Columbia? Sticky Cards is looking for expert texting partner agencies in District of Columbia. Email support@stickycards.co to talk about working together.