Short answer? Yes. But you’ve got to play by the rules. I learned that the hard way, with a few sweaty calls, a rejected design, and one big win that made our phones light up.
Here’s what it felt like from the driver’s seat.
If you want a shortcut to compliant placements and creative that sails through review, Hunt Mads specializes in cannabis billboard buys across New Jersey and can handle the heavy lifting. For an even deeper dive into how cannabis businesses in New Jersey can advertise on billboards, check out my expanded breakdown of every rule and workaround I’ve discovered.
What I was told before I bought space
- You can use billboards in New Jersey if your ads don’t target kids.
- Keep your copy clean. No cartoons. No health claims. No “get high fast” tone.
- Check your distance from schools, parks, and playgrounds. Vendors will help, but I still checked on my own.
- Add clear adult-use language. Ours said: “For adults 21+ only. Keep out of reach of children.”
- Put your business name on it, and yes, our lawyer wanted our license number on the design too.
(Pro tip: the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission spells out the full set of billboard and advertising restrictions—worth a careful read before you sign anything.)
I’m not your lawyer, so don’t take this as legal advice. But this is what got us approved.
Real campaigns I ran (and what actually happened)
Earlier in the process, I hired a display advertising agency to see if they could fast-track approvals and negotiate better rates—the lessons from that experiment definitely influenced the three campaigns below.
1) I-78 near Newark with Lamar
We booked a static board facing westbound traffic. Beige background. Big, simple text:
- “Adult-use cannabis, 21+”
- Brand name
- Store city
- Small QR code
- That plain warning line, plus our license number
No cannabis leaf. No slang. Nothing cute. Boring? A little. But it got through review on the first pass.
What it did:
- Week 1: 114 QR scans, 62 new loyalty sign-ups, 18 redemptions tied to the code on the landing page.
- Week 4: 9% lift in foot traffic compared to our 4-week baseline.
- Cost: $7,800 for 4 weeks, plus $950 for vinyl printing and install.
Little note: a mom emailed us to say thanks for not putting leaf art on the board near her kid’s school route. That told me the tone was right.
2) Digital board on the Atlantic City Expressway with Clear Channel Outdoor
This was a digital rotation, 8 seconds every minute. We ran four lines of text, white on dark green:
- “Cannabis for adults 21+”
- Brand name and city
- “Order ahead”
- Warning line
We set dayparts 6 a.m.–10 p.m. Our rep liked that, and review went quick.
What it did:
- Strong weekend bumps. 21% higher online reservations on Fridays.
- QR scans were lower than I-78 (drivers go faster), but branded search picked up.
- Cost: $3,900 for 4 weeks. No print fees since it’s digital.
3) Jersey City approach toward the Holland Tunnel with OUTFRONT
This one stressed me out. The first draft had a tiny leaf watermark in the background. It looked nice, sure, but the vendor flagged it. We stripped it out.
Then the city asked for proof we weren’t within a restricted zone near a school. We used Google Maps and the vendor’s placement map to measure. Passed.
What it did:
- 46 new customers in 3 weeks used the billboard code.
- Two neighbors complained about “drug signs.” We stayed polite and calm. Nothing got pulled.
What got rejected (yep, it happens)
- NJ Transit bus shelter posters: flat no. The agency told us transit ads can’t include cannabis. That was that.
- A highway board within a short walk of a high school: the vendor pulled it before we signed. Honestly, I was relieved.
- A cheeky headline we loved (“Higher standards”): our own counsel killed it. “Sounds like a weed pun,” they said. They weren’t wrong.
- I also considered testing advertising blow-ups—those giant inflatables look fun but local code headaches and wind insurance made me bail fast.
The checklist I actually use now
(For a marketer-friendly cheat sheet, the New Jersey Cannabis Business Association publishes a concise guide that translates the legalese into plain English.)
- Keep it plain: brand, 21+ statement, city, website, warning, license number.
- No leaf art, no gummies, no medical claims, no slang, no testimonials.
- Ask for a school and park buffer map from the vendor. Then measure it yourself.
- Add an age gate on the landing page if you use a QR code.
- Keep copy big and short. Six words beat sixteen.
- Save your fun ideas for in-store or email. Not the highway.
One quick note: every age-restricted industry wrestles with the same “keep it away from kids” mandate. Adult entertainment platforms have refined their own compliance playbooks—see how the premium cam network SnapBang builds an explicit 18+ gateway and transparent consent language. Analyzing those best practices can give you practical ideas for tightening your own disclaimers and verification flow. Another instructive parallel comes from escort-review directories; browsing Erotic Monkey’s San Luis listings shows how a strictly adult platform keeps messaging discreet yet clear, offering marketers a live example of age gates, transparent user warnings, and location filters in action.
Cost ranges I saw (New Jersey, ballpark)
- Static boards: $3,000–$12,000 per 4 weeks, based on traffic and location.
- Digital boards: $2,500–$8,000 per 4 weeks, depending on share of voice and time of day.
- Production: $800–$1,200 for vinyl and install (static only).
- Design: I paid a freelancer $450 to make three compliant versions fast.
Prices move with seasons. Summer near the shore runs hotter. Football season can be tight too.
Little creative tips that passed review
- Use a calm color: beige, navy, or dark green. Nothing neon.
- Lead with “Adult-use cannabis. 21+.” It sets the tone.
- Put the city name. People want to know it’s nearby.
- If you add a QR, keep it big and high contrast. We tested 10 inches tall on vinyl. It scanned fine from the shoulder.
- Don’t cram the board with strain names or deals. We kept offers off the billboard and put them on the site after the age gate.
The human stuff no one tells you
My grandma saw our I-78 board and called me. “I don’t love it,” she said, “but it looks responsible.” That word stuck. Responsible. You know what? That’s the vibe that works here.
Also, the first time a vendor said, “We need to move your board,” my stomach dropped. Turns out a nearby school had changed its grade span. We shifted placements, and the campaign kept rolling. Annoying? Sure. But better than a takedown.
So, can you do it?
Yes—cannabis businesses in New Jersey can advertise on billboards, with limits. If you keep the creative clean, respect buffers around places kids gather, and include adult-use and safety language, vendors like Lamar, OUTFRONT, and Clear Channel will work with you. Some cities are extra strict. Transit won’t touch it. And your lawyer will make you kill your “clever” lines. That’s fine.
My verdict: billboards were worth it when we treated them like a road sign, not a party flyer. Simple beats cute. Compliance beats drama. And the sales lift was real.