Selling Promo Apparel to the Fast-Growing Legalized Cannabis Market

The legalized cannabis market, through hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) goods alone, stands to generate $22 billion by 2022. (That's before you even factor in legalized recreational marijuana and related goods.) That makes now a good time for promo distributors to look into selling products that pay homage to marijuana culture. So says Eric Rubin, the president of M. Rubin & Sons/Blue Generation, who, in an appearance on the Promo Marketing Podcast, discussed his company’s success within the budding field and how his industry peers can likewise obtain uplifting results, mainly through promo apparel.

“The legalization of marijuana is becoming the No. 1 topic on the news,” the third-generation leader of the Long Island City, N.Y. supplier said, necessitating considerations of how the cannabis market could become an inspiration for the promotional products industry.

Listen to the full interview with Rubin here:

As matters stand now, 13 states have legalized recreational cannabis use, with 23 states having granted the substance medically-related protection, totals that certainly support Rubin’s point and that yield the logical conclusion that there is major money to be made through promotional efforts. The Blue Generation head spoke of research that he conducted thanks to the prevalence of CBD edibles in New York City, noting that the internet yielded “thousands of logos designed for this industry.”

Since his business, which tied for 15th on Promo Marketing’s 2018 Top Suppliers list, has acquired reputable standing as an apparel mover, particularly in the uniform realm, Rubin has eagerly joined the masses who are calling for more thread-centric promotion of the drug’s growing acceptance. Basically, the sales opportunities for promo distributors in this market are enormous, especially in apparel.

“There is a huge market of people who are looking for products to put their logos on and sell, and all these people need to be uniformed, too,” Rubin offered, noting that there is “no question about it” that distributors and suppliers should see this moment in time as a revenue generator.

Blue Generation has begun its ascent in this regard through its Style 420 hoodies and other upcoming products that honor the cannabis craze. This year’s PPAI Expo in Las Vegas saw the supplier receive a nomination for one of the show’s hottest new items, owing to its cannabis pattern hood lining and nod to the industry’s increasing curiosity over marijuana’s promotional possibilities.

#bluegeneration #brandedapparel #clothesyouwanttowear @Promo_Marketing #ppaiexpo pic.twitter.com/MGGyc5ylGp

— Blue Generation (@bluegeneration) January 25, 2019

Since the apparel market never figures to go through any significant dip, Rubin and his hires are looking to expand their product options that celebrate cannabis culture, agreeing with the Promo Marketing Podcast hosts that hemp itself could come to be a commonly used fabric for promotional apparel. While he refrained from speculating on which other goods could receive greater clout through the promotion of cannabis, Rubin made quite apparent that overlooking the substance’s relevance to the apparel industry is akin to remaining within one’s comfort zone.

“There is a tremendous opportunity for this industry to go after this market and sell promotional items,” he said. “…It’s an untapped market, and that makes the opportunity really, really huge.”

Check out the full podcast episode here or download/stream wherever you get your podcasts.