Your Email Platform Will Fire You
This isn’t hypothetical. Mailchimp’s terms of service explicitly prohibit cannabis content. They enforce it by deleting your account — and your entire subscriber list — without warning. We’ve migrated 19 operators off Mailchimp after they learned this the hard way.
Constant Contact, Campaign Monitor, and most mainstream ESPs have similar policies. The first step in cannabis email marketing is choosing a platform that won’t nuke your business overnight.
The Compliant Stack
For dispensaries and plant-touching brands: Alpine IQ or Sprout. Both are built for cannabis, integrate with major POS systems, and handle compliance at the platform level. Alpine IQ is stronger on segmentation and POS integration. Sprout is simpler to operate.
For hemp and CBD (non-THC): Klaviyo works and is the best option. Full e-commerce integration, sophisticated flow builder, and powerful segmentation. Just keep your content within their CBD-specific guidelines.
For SMS: Alpine IQ handles both email and SMS. If you’re on Sprout for email, pair with a cannabis-friendly SMS provider. 10DLC registration is mandatory — your vendor should handle this.
The Flows That Actually Drive Revenue
For dispensaries, email and SMS should drive 25-35% of total revenue. If you’re below 15%, you’re leaving significant money on the table. Here are the non-negotiable flows:
Welcome sequence (3-5 emails). New opt-in → immediate value (first-visit offer) → education (what makes you different) → social proof → second purchase incentive. This alone converts 12-18% of new subscribers.
Browse abandonment. Customer looked at a product category but didn’t buy. Trigger: 2 hours after browse. Content: category education + personalized recommendations. Not a discount — education.
Winback (60/90/120 day). Customer hasn’t purchased in X days. Graduated urgency. First touch is a “we miss you” with new product highlights. Last touch is a meaningful offer. Reactivation rate target: 8-12%.
VIP program. Top 10% of customers by revenue. Exclusive access, early drops, birthday recognition. These customers are worth 6-8× your average. Treat them accordingly.
Segmentation Beyond “All Customers”
The biggest revenue unlock in cannabis email isn’t better subject lines — it’s segmentation. RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) segmentation alone can lift email revenue 20-30% by ensuring your best customers get different treatment than your one-time buyers.
Layer in category affinity (flower vs. edibles vs. concentrates), store-level geo-targeting, and strain preference data from your POS, and you’re sending messages that feel personal because they are.
Stop sending the same Tuesday blast to your entire list. Start sending the right message to the right segment at the right time.