Numerous polls have shown increasing public support for decriminalization of marijuana. But public support alone isn't enough to change the law - you have to organize communities to win political fights. And that's exactly what's happening now.
Despite the downsizing of marijuana dispensaries in California since last May, online organizing has increased and dispensaries are finding new ways to reach potential customers. In addition to organizing as a small business strategy, the internet is also helping advocacy organizations reach out to local communities to generate support for decreased reform and more favorable legislation for this growing industry.
From circulating online petitions to change local legislation, to using text-in codes for marijuana dispensary discounts, dispensaries across the country are using technology to cultivate a community of advocates as well as connect patients with pharmacies through private, direct engagement. Advocacy and policy campaigns are mobilizing their base to make medical use a viable option and more socially acceptable.
Here’s a profile on how three different advocacy, retail, and policy-oriented agencies are blazing the trail for cannabis delivery businesses and advocacy organizations.
Ohio Rights Group (ORG)
Ohio Rights Group is organizing Ohioans to make medical and therapeutic use of cannabis their right. Last May, ORG collected 1,100 petition signatures needed to propose to the Attorney General an amendment on November's ballot. The amendment called for legalization of medical marijuana for qualifying residents, allowing farmers to grow with industrial help. Although by state law online signatures do not count as valid by attorney general, they used their nation in creative ways to connect to potential petition signees.
ORG set up a Take Action center for counties to connect with their regional Facebook pages. Within their nation's Dashboard, they aggregated Facebook likes and retweets–a key feature of NationBuilder–to tag to user profiles for the specific action taken on the website. This created a target universe of perfect prospects for organizers to reach out and ask for signatures.
DVT Delivery
Using NationBuilder text messaging, retailers have the ability to connect with customers regardless of geographical or stationary reservation. Usually text messaging platforms aren't connected to an organization's main database, but NationBuilder has built it in. With this tool, selecting a group of customers and delivering the text becomes simple, and the record of texts delivered is synced to the customer record. DVT Delivery is a medical marijuana establishment based out of Palm Springs, CA and uses their nation's text message ability to blast out deals of the day on new breeds of cannabis or exclusive deals for their VIP members.
DVT Delivery has seen a significant spike in customers using this tactic. Text messaging has given their customer base total anonymity, so when it comes to visiting a store front vs. at-home services, many people on the hunt for good pot have opted in.
A good example of how this works was built by NationBuilder organizer, Phil Kregel, called Dank Delivery on Demand. Phil's nation shows off a nation's potential for a delivery business–incorporating text messaging, a referral program, a selection of flavors, and even a place for more information on marijuana reform.
Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform (CCPR)
Since 2011, CCPR's been organizing for a national marijuana reform. They've housed rally's across the country and documented every move of their journey online. As a broad alliance of advocacy groups for the legalization of marijuana, it's important to have a website for partners and members to interact and exchange information. Visitors can sign up for weekly newsletters, take action on their Facebook page, and engage in new organizational updates on their blog.
Support for marijuana reform exists at the consumer, state, and national level. As agencies take their message online to build stronger communities, they're able to connect with supporters of every variety—from the guy sitting on their couch receiving the latest dispensary updates on his phone to the energetic activist collecting petition signatures on a rainy day.
