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Brands have always had a weakness for glomming onto youth slang as an attempt to signal authenticity and relevance. But for a brand like Cann, whose marketing strategy relies heavily on social platforms including TikTok, keeping up with the latest slang is a must. Cann is a THC-infused seltzer, with flavors including Blood Orange Cardamom, Lemon Lavender, and Grapefruit Rosemary—plus a 2mg “microdose” of THC in each eight-ounce can. And that makes it challenging to market and stay within platforms’ rules.
Its latest example involves the use of the term “gardening” as slang for cannabis use. A search on the platform for “gardening session” results in a slew of videos of people being (or perhaps acting) high while, say, cleaning up, going to a party, or playing with a bear. Nobody actually mentions, displays, or overtly refers to cannabis in any form, but the message (leaf and green-hearted emoji included) is hard to miss.
So, not surprisingly, “gardening” has become an established part of cannabis brands’ vocabulary as a workaround to social platform rules that restrict depictions of or references to regulated or illegal substances. TikTok’s community guidelines state that it “do[es] not allow showing, possessing, or using drugs,” and that a video is not eligible for inclusion in the all-powerful For You feed “if it discusses drugs or other regulated substances.” Talking about gardening is part of the system of winks and nods that Cann and other cannabis brands, plus the digital creators and influencers spreading the word about their products, rely on.
But now, according to Cann cofounder and CEO Jake Bullock, it seems “gardening” growth may have caught TikTok’s attention too. “What our team had been seeing is that some of these videos where we’ve had creators say, ‘Oh yeah, let’s do gardening drinks, it’ll be fun,’ have been flagged or taken down,” he says. Some aren’t (and of course, there are plenty of actual gardening videos on the platform), but there have been enough instances to suggest that the algorithm may have gotten wise to this one. (TikTok declined to comment.)
@drinkcann
the guest of honor tbh
♬ original sound – bellagarbiso
Los Angeles-based Cann is positioned as a lifestyle beverage that gives you a mild buzz, not as a way to get wasted. Adjacent to the so-called California-sober trend—which gives a pass to (legal) recreational cannabis among those who otherwise abstain from alcohol or drugs—it’s an alternative to beer, wine, hard seltzers, and the like. And supposedly, it’s hangover-free.
Launched in 2019, it’s a startup making a name from scratch in a young category. But it’s not exactly some shady entity: It sells (to consumers age 21 and up) at retail in 25 states, and direct-to-consumer in 14 more, making it one of the best-sellers in the category, according to researcher BDSA. A 12-pack goes for about $66. Last year, CNBC reported the company had raised $36 million from backers including Imaginary Ventures and a few celebrities, such as Gwyneth Paltrow.
But like its cannabis beverage rivals and other brands and products containing THC, Cann has dealt with a volatile regulatory environment. Laws differ by state, and whether the THC is derived from marijuana or hemp. (Both are forms of cannabis; Cann’s THC is hemp-derived.) Cann’s initial following was largely built on social media. Instagram, where it has more than 100,000 followers, was key early on; TikTok, where it has about 27,000 followers, has become increasingly important as the brand has grown.
Cann has lots of experience having its own content flagged or removed, Bullock says, and tries to work with TikTok, in particular, to stay on the right side of its algorithm. Platforms seem to give more leeway to creators than actual brand content, he says, and perhaps even more to celebrities. “If Kate Hudson’s gonna scream and yell about how our cranberry sage flavor mixes with vodka, that doesn’t seem to get taken down,” he says, referring to a Cann ad clip the company shared on social media.
Cann is particularly focused on “sober curious” younger consumers who are said to be drinking less alcohol than prior generations. So keeping up with online slang would probably be part of the brand even without its workaround function—and sometimes, that’s been a learning experience for Bullock, who is 36. In fact, he learned about “gardening” from his own marketing team. “We had a set of videos that our team had worked with creators to put together,” he says. “One of the videos was a woman gardening. And I was like, ‘This is great. I love it. I love gardening. I’m growing a bunch of potatoes on my roof right now!’” Enjoying a can of Cann while tending to vegetables sounded fun. “And they’re like, ‘Jake, no, it’s a joke.’”
@existentialashley gardening while gardening with @Cann #CannPartner ♬ original sound – Ashley Watson
But now, evidently, everyone gets the joke, including TikTok. So it’s time to move on. Emoji like the puff of smoke have long served as cannabis code; lately, a flower emoji to signify “gardening” is serving as a sort of double-layered reference. And Cann’s marketing team is monitoring other terms as they bubble up. “Are we gonna start talking about ‘horticulture’? And then we’ll go ride the horticulture wave for a year until they, you know, bump that out,” Barton muses. Slang will continue to come and go, but meanwhile, he adds: “I still maintain that gardening and drinking Cann is a great combo.”
