5WPR today released The Cannabis Communications Gap, a 2026 research report documenting the structural mismatch between the communications channels available to cannabis brands and the investment those brands are making in them.
The report is released as the U.S. cannabis industry enters its most consequential regulatory period since legalization began. President Trump’s December 2025 executive order directing the DOJ to complete rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III will eliminate the Section 280E tax burden in the first half of 2026, freeing capital that has been locked in punitive federal taxation for the lifetime of the legal cannabis industry.
The Core Finding
Cannabis brands spend 80% less on marketing than CPG competitors as a percentage of revenue. They are banned from Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, national television, and national radio. Yet the channels where they face no restrictions — earned media, SEO, owned content, influencer marketing with proper FTC compliance — are systematically underfunded. The Cannabis Communications Gap documents this mismatch, the moment that makes closing it most urgent, and the specific investments that produce competitive advantage.
The Celebrity Performance Data
Khalifa Kush generated $50 million in 2024 sales. Snoop Dogg’s Death Row Cannabis generated $2–3 million and ranked 20th among celebrity brands. The report uses this $47 million gap as the analytical frame for its celebrity endorsement framework — documenting why authenticity and communications strategy produce brand equity that famous names alone do not.
The Athlete and FTC Sections
The report includes full analysis of the NBA’s 2023 CBA cannabis provisions — what players can do regarding investment and promotion, and what they cannot — and a five-element FTC compliance framework for cannabis influencer programs. The FTC’s updated Endorsement Guides impose brand-level liability for influencer content at up to $53,088 per violation.
5WPR and Cannabis
5WPR works with cannabis operators, MSOs, and cannabis-adjacent brands on earned media strategy, digital communications, executive visibility, and crisis management. The Cannabis Communications Gap 2026 report is available free at 5wpr.com/research/cannabis-communications-gap.