When your average weed smoker searches “how to find weed near me” online, you want to be on that list of results that they see. One of the best ways to do that is to have your business listed in a cannabis directory. This allows you to get your business on a website that is already bringing in proven customers, and show off your products.
What Is a Cannabis Business Directory?
In its simplest form, a cannabis business directory is a list of businesses with some basic background and contact information for each. But they can be so much more, depending on how well they are designed and maintained. A good cannabis directory will have more than just a list; it will also have plenty of great content to draw in readers and direct them toward the businesses on that list.
The level of competition in the cannabis business is pretty crazy right now, and it's only going to get crazier from here. When you start up a new medical or recreational dispensary, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd and get any attention. The restrictions placed on cannabis dispensaries by federal and state regulations make it even harder for businesses to advertise.
However, cannabis directories allow businesses to leapfrog their competition. Any cannabis directory worth its salt already has a killer website with great content, high Google rankings, and a dedicated following—all things new dispensaries have to build from scratch. A great cannabis directory will bring new customers to your website and show them what is unique about your business.
Why Are There So Many Cannabis Directories?
Because there’s a market for them! And that market is only going to go grow in the future. Every year brings more developments that expand the cannabis industry. As states continue to legalize medical and recreational marijuana, new businesses and customer bases will continue to open up.
Cannabis is still a new market in so many ways, and nobody wants to miss out on the profits that are going to be made in the coming years. Right now the internet is overflowing with them, but many cannabis directories will likely fold in the coming years due to a lack of success in an overcrowded market. It’s important to put your time and effort into getting your dispensary listed in a directory that’s going to last.
What Makes a Good Cannabis Directory?
A great cannabis directory will be full of engaging and informative content for its readers that will make them eager to check out the businesses listed. A great way to include that content is through a blog that teaches the reader more about the industry.
A list of cannabis business dispensaries should also have information that will bring the right customer to the business. A cannabis directory isn’t useful to customers or businesses if it's not connecting readers with the products they are looking for. That’s why reviews are a vital part of any cannabis business directory.
Good cannabis directories will also be updated frequently with recent deals and news about developments in the industry. Consistently adding new content will show that the information they are reading is relevant, and they should come back to the directory to check out new businesses often.
Best Cannabis Directories of 2023 (So Far!)
Gentleman Toker
We may be a little biased on this front, but we genuinely and passionately believe that Gentleman Toker is one of the best cannabis business directories out there. We have been in operation ever since Initiative 71 opened up the recreational cannabis gifting marketing in DC. Our staff are experienced tokers and total nerds for flower, vapes, edibles, bongs, and every other weed product under the sun.
Not only that, but we have also worked to develop an authentic voice that our clients and our customers can recognize and identify with. Joe Tierney, the original Gentleman Toker, started this directory to cut through the bullshit and share his honest reviews and experiences of where to find the best weed in DC. We’ve expanded the team but kept the original recipe: Honest, up-to-date information about weed strains, dispensaries, products, laws, and whatever else we wanna yak about. From blogs and podcasts to reviews and FAQs, we’re proud to be your guide to weed in DC, NYC, and throughout the East Coast.
Leafly
One of the biggest cannabis directories, Leafly originally started as a site for reviewing cannabis strains. Over the years, the site has transformed into a popular cannabis business directory, and it is frequently updated with coupons, deals, and information on products. It has a handy search function that allows visitors to sort by location, and its information and reviews on cannabis strains remain expansive.
Weedmaps
Like Leafly, Weedmaps is a popular and fast-growing cannabis directory. It also has space for customers to review cannabis strains and dispensaries and connect with resources. Weedmaps gets extra points for its user-friendly mobile app.
Wikileaf
Wikileaf has a well-designed website that focuses on cannabis strains—and pricing information in particular. It allows visitors to look up products based on both their geography and price, making it easy for them to shop for the best deal for weed near them.
The Cannabis Industry
The National Cannabis Industry can stake its claim as the oldest trade association serving the cannabis industry, with a network of tens of thousands of cannabis professionals. Their main mission is advocacy, education, and community building. While their cannabis business directory is expansive, it doesn’t have quite as many business details as other directories.
Pot Guide
Entering its tenth year of operation, Pot Guide is a cannabis directory that focuses on scientifically researched educational resources. But it also has a helpful map that serves as a searchable visual guide to its list of cannabis businesses, along with an interactive calendar.
Cannabis Business Executive
A great cannabis directory for B2B and professional resources, the Cannabis Business Executive connects businesses with other industry resources, such as financial services, manufacturers, and security companies.
Cannabis.net
Founded in 2016, Cannabis.net has a focus on medical marijuana. In addition to being a cannabis directory, it is also a social networking site that seeks to connect readers with medical facilities, educational resources, doctors, and legal information. Visitors can also post on the cannabis job board.
Hail Mary Jane
Haily Mary Jane was created more than 10 years ago to highlight industry news and legal issues in an attempt to educate and destigmatize the industry. They have shifted to becoming a cannabis directory, and their site includes promotional codes and guides on a variety of subjects, including bongs, grinders, and weed subscription boxes.
Ganjapreneur
A premier website for news and media about the cannabis industry, Ganjapreneur has generated a lot of traffic with its timely podcast and news stories that are updated every day. It is both an effective educational tool and a way to connect with industry professionals such as attorneys, investors, equipment manufacturers, and more.
Medical Jane
As the name implies, Medical Jane was specifically created to cover the medical cannabis market. Its educational information is a great resource for readers and professionals, but it also serves as a social network for doctors and businesses.
Marijuana Business Daily
A great source of news written by experienced journalists, Marijuana Business Daily has a directory that is good at highlighting specific cannabis industry services such as professional training and laboratories.
THCbiz
Another medical marijuana-oriented site, THCbiz is mostly built around its cannabis business directory and some industry news. It also includes information on legal representation, software services, cultivators, and educational resources.
The CBD
While The CBD is mainly focused on—you guessed it—CBD, even it can be useful even to businesses that don’t specialize in CBD. It has information on seed banks, influencers, events, and other highly-specific industry resources.
Chronic Startups
This site is built specifically to help customers find great cannabis startups and should be an early stop for new businesses. Chronic Startups’ site also highlights products and services such as 420-friendly hotels and new technology. Its cannabis directory also is limited to just the United States.
Dr. MedMar
In addition to housing a cannabis business directory, Dr.MedMar has a way for visitors to have an online video call with a practitioner to obtain a medical marijuana recommendation. Potential patients can see a doctor in as little as 10 minutes to obtain a card. The site also has a directory of doctors in addition to businesses.
CBD & Cannabis Business Exchange
Known simply as CBX for short, the CBD & Cannabis Business Exchange has a mission to improve the visibility and reputation of the industry and individual businesses. It is largely geared towards businesses that specialize in CBD products and allows its visitors to filter their search results by specific CBD products and businesses.
How to Get Posted on a Cannabis Directory
The first thing to do before posting your business on a cannabis directory is to do your research. You want to make sure the site has a good reputation with factual information and a clean, user-friendly design. Are your potential competitors using the site? What about other cannabis businesses that you would like to emulate? After you’ve scoped it out, read up on their policies and pricing information, and then reach out to the site’s team. They can give you more information, give you some hard numbers, and walk you through their pricing plans.
Explore Our Cannabis Directory
Want to add your business to Gentleman Toker’s cannabis directory? It’s easy! Just fill out a short form, and we’ll check out your business. If you would like to become a featured listing, be sure to reach out to our friendly team.