Happy 100 blogs! Thank you for being here and supporting PassinGrass. We couldn’t do this without you!
Last week on the PG blog, we talked about how Google and social media platforms are often restricting all things cannabis related.
This week, lets dig a little deeper and discuss how text messaging (sms) is also negatively impacting the cannabis industry.
Just Text Me
In the world we live in today, text messaging is just another social norm. We grab our phones to send a quick text first thing in the morning, multiple times throughout the day, and even as we fall asleep. We receive text messages from various business regarding order status, sales, discount codes, new products, etc. We text our family, friends, and maybe even co-workers daily. It’s just what we do.
Think about how many text you send daily, weekly, monthly. I’m sure that number is actually even higher than you think.
Side note: Thankfully, there are ” unlimited text plans” through our cell phone carriers and we aren’t being charged per text. Especially for my fellow multiple texts at a time kind of people. I know, it’s a habit we must break.
Here at PG, you can text us to ask a question, for a recommendation, or even place an order. We respond to your text, we text you order confirmation, delivery eta, and delivery arrival. We couldn’t get through our day without it. What would happen if that went away?
Text Message Failed to Deliver
Oh, the dreaded “text message failed to deliver” notification.
We recently read an article that was posted on The Cannabis Industry about text messaging services having interuptions when it comes to cannabis.
Have you heard about it? This is not something new. We personally deal with this on a daily basis here at PG. We know other cannabis companies are as well. These restrictions on cannabis have to end. We have to take a stand in order for things to change. Why can we not talk cannabis on social media, the internet, or even send text messages ? But yet, there is much worse out there being pushed in our faces on a daily basis. Hm.
Below is the article
“NCIA members have been making us aware of text messaging (SMS) service interruptions, or complete shutdowns, either for marketing or order fulfillment. We’re still gathering information to understand the full extent of the issue and what we can do to assist the industry with making sure we are afforded our rights.
“SMS or MMS messages related to cannabis are not allowed in the United States, as federal laws prohibit its sale, even though some states have legalized it. Similarly, messages related to CBD products are not permissible in the United States, as certain states prohibit its sale. Twilio policy is reflective of US carrier rules in this area, and there are no exceptions to this policy.
A few SMS platforms, including At&t, Twilio, Avochato, & T-Mobile, have announced they are terminating services for cannabis companies. Twillio’s website makes it clear they don’t want to deal with cannabis-related companies.
Twilio defines a cannabis-related message as any message which relates to the marketing or sale of a cannabis product, regardless of whether or not those messages explicitly contain cannabis terms, images, or links to cannabis websites.”
This crackdown has come on the heels of the implementation of 10DLC, new telecommunications regulations intended to address the pervasive problem of spam (not specific to the cannabis industry). Telecommunications companies have used it as an excuse to exclude legally regulated cannabis companies, or at least significantly interfere with their operations.
Unfortunately, Twilio is a huge SMS platform that has been used by some major players in the industry that provide niche technical platforms for such services as delivery, marketing, and loyalty points. Numerous businesses throughout the cannabis industry rely on those platforms to reach their customers and to better facilitate delivery and order pickups” ( The Cannabis Industry).
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