Welcome to Rise & Roll, a bi-weekly newsletter that keeps you smart, savvy, and always in the loop on the latest in cannabis.

Here’s what we have on deck for today…

1. Cannabis marketing's secret weapon

2. NHA’s four asks of RFK

3. Indiana primed to join Midwest’s cannabis club

Cannabis marketing's secret weapon

When it comes to cannabis advertising, the rulebook is thicker than a phone book. But savvy brands like Nugg Club and Eaze are finding success through influencer marketing networks.

Instead of battling platform restrictions — Meta, Google Ads, TikTok — they're creating authentic lifestyle content through trusted voices.

Nugg Club's ambassador program and Eaze's influencer partnerships prove you don't need traditional paid ads to build serious brand awareness — you just need the right storytellers.

Brands may consider pivoting from traditional paid advertising to building relationships with influencers.

While it may require time (and patience), it could be a more sustainable way to reach customers within platform guidelines.

NHA’s four asks of RFK

The National Hemp Association (NHA) recently shared their wishlist with newly appointed lead of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

It includes four key asks:

1. Allow hemp grain to be used in domestic animal feed markets (like pet food and fish food) where it won't enter the human food chain

2. Expand staffing at FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine to speed up the painfully slow animal feed approval process

3. Grandfather hemp as a commodity under FDA rules, similar to how other commodities were treated when the FDA was created in 1958

4. Develop a comprehensive regulatory framework for handling both existing and future cannabinoids (with potentially 150+ more to come)

Despite hemp's legalization in 2018, regulatory hurdles still strangle industry growth.

A more hemp-friendly FDA could unlock massive opportunities in animal feed, human consumption, and beyond.

Indiana primed to join Midwest’s cannabis club

Medical cannabis may soon be coming to Indiana.

Indiana’s Governor-elect Mike Braun recently told reporters:

Not only that, a new Ball State survey shows a whopping 87% of Indiana residents back medical marijuana.

Indiana seems primed to be the next state to domino to fall in the Midwest cannabis market, especially with:

1. Strong public support

2. A Republican governor-elect signaling openness to reform

3. And medical cannabis already being legal in all four bordering states — Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky

Legalization in Indiana would unlock fresh opportunities in a state with 6.8M potential customers.

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We’ll be back with another edition on Friday. See you then!

To stay up-to-date on cannabis news, visit us at riseandroll.news.