Arek Dvornechuck
Branding Expert
For years, cannabis businesses never felt the need to have professional branding, but the things have changes in recent years.
Marijuana’s default logo has always been the green cannabis leaf.
However, the cannabis industry is booming right now, so the branding of a cannabis business is as important as of any other type of business.
The booming marijuana industry means a high demand for branding of cannabis-related businesses.
Most of the US has legalized cannabis in some form, whether for medical or recreational use.
There are many different types of cannabis products on the market today, each needing their own unique brand identity.
These include flower products, edibles, vapes, topicals, and various accessories.
When designing branding for a cannabis company, it’s important to carefully consider your brand strategy and what kind of image and feel you want to portray.
Do you want a premium, high-end look? A more casual, laidback vibe? Heritage-inspired branding? The possibilities are endless.
That's why in this article I give you 4 examples grouped into 3 categories: (1-4) Heritage Designs, (5-8) Minimalist Designs, and (9-12) Premium Designs.
PS. Also check out my new YouTube video where I review some of the best examples of cannabis branding I found on Behance (different that presented in this article).
Without further ado, let’s take a look at 12 great examples of cannabis branding across various styles and product types:
Marley Natural draws direct inspiration from legendary reggae artist Bob Marley (who was known for smoking pot).
With rasta colors and lion illustration, it immediately connects with Marley fans.
Heckler Associates—a Seattle based agency created this eye-catching logo and packaging design.
Kiva Confections features vintage-inspired branding that captures the company’s sophisticated connoisseur angle.
As an edibles brand, it’s important that their visual identity reflects the upscale chocolate confections they create.
By teaming up with expert chocolatiers and cultivators, they’ve created award-winning range of cannabis chocolates.
Kiva branding was done by San Francisco agency MINE—it perfectly conveys a sense of craftsmanship and heritage.
Willie’s Reserve is a brand launched by Willie Nelson, a musician known for his love of marijuana.
With country and folk influences, it stays true to the artist's musical legacy.
The brand identity captures a blend of Willie’s outlaw reputation, his belief in fun and freedom.
When Willie decided to launch his own cannabis range he turned to Santa Monica agency, Rival.
I think this is a great examples of western-inspired, outlaw archetype look & feel.
Almora leverages bold serif typefaces and abstract geometric patterns inspired by Mexican culture and art.
The packaging features warm earth tones and script fonts that convey an artisanal, handcrafted look and feel.
Almora focuses on bringing out the natural terpenes and flavors of their strains, and the branding reflects this attention to the integrity of the plant.
Overall, Almora does an excellent job allowing the Mexican visual aesthetics to come through while keeping it clean and modern.
This unique fusion makes their flower products feel special yet still deeply rooted in culture and tradition
Seven Point features a slim sans serif logotype with an elegant leaf icon that encapsulates the essence of cannabis in a subtle, tasteful way.
Seven Point provides premium individual consultation and a well-planned menu of medical cannabis varieties.
The slimmed sans serif type projects simple yet elegant look & feel.
The name Seven Point, which relates to the seven characteristic points of the marijuana leaf, was La Tortillería´s cue for building the entire brand identity.
Apothecanna uses a clean, modern, spa-like visual identity for their skin care line that projects a professional look and feel (almost pharmaceutical).
The products are formulated with natural, nutritious ingredients to help balance the body and the senses.
The products are named based on their effect and along with color coding each distinct line.
Using various colors helps the consumer easily identify which product is right for them at any given time.
Level emphasizes science and nature with simple, clinical packaging featuring bold pops of color to denote different cannabis strains and potencies.
Level Blends is a California cannabis brand that provides pesticide, solvent, and additive free products.
All labels are printed on speckled Mohawk stock and feature pops of neon to reflect both the scientific and organic quality of the products.
By the color and prominent name, users can easily identify the type of cannabis and tailor their experience better to fit their individual needs.
GrassRoots features an abstract, artistic rendition of the cannabis leaf in their logo (one-weight line).
Paired with a bold sans serif typeface, it creates an elevated yet approachable brand image.
This is probably one of the most simplistic examples of cannabis branding.
In my opinion it's a very swiss design style can conveys professional, modern look.
Canamis offers sleek, high-end packaging with muted colors and abstract leaf shape that help redefine the cannabis experience as luxurious.
By mixing gold color with earthy colors, it creates a unique memorable color palette.
Also by using serif typography, the designer projects here a more luxurious, and high-end feel.
Kurvana also uses shiny finishes (this time silver) to create an uplifting, lifestyle driven brand around cannabis wellness products.
Overall, the unique color palette and special finishes match the effect and experience Kurvana wants its customers to have.
It sets them apart as an wellness-oriented cannabis company aimed at the everyday modern consumer interested in holistic products.
STIIZY features all caps condensed typeface, and packaging with shiny silver elements to showcase their products as exclusive and premium.
By utilizing contrasts, marijuana leafs and creative letterforms, STIIIZY pops on the shelf.
Overall, STIIIZY has done an excellent job by branding their pre-rolls as premium and high-end.
The bold, dynamic visual identity attracts those looking for high-quality products that stands out from the competition.
Sunday Goods focuses on transparency and simplicity while leveraging beautiful nature photography to convey the purity and integrity of their cannabis products.
The wordmark uses a friendly serif typeface, which immediately connects their products to ideas of organic quality and environmental responsibility.
By keeping branding clean, minimal and straightforward while highlighting bright outdoor scenery, Sunday Goods comes across as an transparent, eco-conscious company.
The focus is solely on conveying purity through design rather than flashy aesthetics.
Nothing is overbranded or excessive.
By spotlighting nature and freshness, they sell an honest vision of uplifting cannabis experiences customers can feel good about.
As you can see, cannabis branding today goes far beyond the expected leaf imagery.
With such a diverse range of companies and products now on the market, having a thoughtful, well-defined visual identity is more important than ever.
BTW. Also check out my branding for Medihuanna.
Medihuanna is not a typical consumer brand like the ones above, but rather a B2B company that provides medicinal marijuana education to healthcare professionals in Sydney/Australia.
I created the new logo, brand identity and website for Medihuanna and my client found me through this article.
If you're looking for a designer for you cannabis business—Just get in touch!
As a branding expert interested in this new industry, I’m always happy to help my clients bring their vision to life.
Either way, I hope these examples have sparked some ideas for your own cannabis business.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I'm a branding expert and graphic designer based in NY. I specialize in the development of brands: brand strategy, identity & web design. Need help with your project?—Get in touch
