A California Cannabis Purveyor Takes on the Marijuana Stereotype

Who are you calling a stoner?

MedMen, a large Southern California retailer known as “the Apple Store” of cannabis, will launch its most ambitious marketing campaign to date—on 4/20, naturally. In the new ads, MedMen seeks to dispel the myth that all marijuana users are just a bunch of “Cheech & Chong” slackers. The new push, called “Forget Stoner,” is a continuation of a progressive campaign that first debuted in January.

According to AdWeek, “’Forget Stoner,’ in the vein of the previous ‘Faces’ campaign, features a police officer, former NFL player, triathlete, physicist, nurse, entrepreneur and teacher, among others, in a series of clean and simple portraits against warm red backgrounds. So ‘grammable!’”

The company, which already offers 18 locations in three states, hopes the new ads will expand the public’s perception of the average marijuana user while promoting the heath benefits of cannabis and CBD products.

“Our campaign is all about celebrating that diversity and broad level of interest,” CMO B.J. Carretta says. “There is something for everyone, and it is time to move beyond dated labels that don’t reflect the realities of today.”

Get a look at the campaign here.