{"id":10076,"date":"2024-03-04T13:21:24","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T13:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=5955616"},"modified":"2024-03-04T13:21:24","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T13:21:24","slug":"marketing-magic-how-influencers-are-helping-sell-psychedelics-to-social-media-masses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/marketing-magic-how-influencers-are-helping-sell-psychedelics-to-social-media-masses\/","title":{"rendered":"Marketing magic: How influencers are helping sell psychedelics to social media masses"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/marketing-magic-how-influencers-are-helping-sell-psychedelics-to-social-media-masses\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@anatomyofloveofficial\/video\/7223889878239530246\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video posted on TikTok<\/a>, Fort Collins resident Rachel Pastor outlines the key ways to benefit from microdosing with psilocybin.<\/p>\n<p>Take care of your physical body, she says, and be sure to set an intention when taking the substance. Have a consistent microdosing routine and, most importantly, make time to reflect on the experience and apply any lessons learned to other aspects of life.<\/p>\n<p>Pastor\u2019s video, which has been viewed more than 10,000 times, is like many others on the social media platform that tout the benefits of microdosing with psychedelics and answer questions about doing it. One of the more common inquiries: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@anatomyofloveofficial\/video\/7200870818228735238\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Where can I get \u2018shrooms?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Pastor isn\u2019t shy to answer. In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@anatomyofloveofficial\/video\/7216055424125078789\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a video from last year<\/a> with more than 18,000 views, she points people to Golden Rule Mushroom Company, which sells microdosing capsules as well as psilocybin-infused chocolate bars and other products. The company\u2019s website allows shoppers to fill a digital basket and check out with the ease of any other e-commerce purchase.<\/p>\n<p>When Pastor, who goes by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@anatomyofloveofficial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@anatomyofloveofficial<\/a> on TikTok, refers people to Golden Rule, she receives a monetary kickback.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5968683\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/marketing-magic-how-influencers-are-helping-sell-psychedelics-to-social-media-masses.jpg\" alt=\"Psilocybin mushroom companies sometimes rely on social influencers to get the word out about their illicit products. Wild Mind Mushrooms, for example, has an affiliate marketing program that provides its marketers with unique codes that shoppers can use to get a discount on infused microdosing capsules, chocolates and teas. (Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post)\" width=\"3709\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/marketing-magic-how-influencers-are-helping-sell-psychedelics-to-social-media-masses.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"5968683\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/marketing-magic-how-influencers-are-helping-sell-psychedelics-to-social-media-masses.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TDP-L-shrooms-01.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TDP-L-shrooms-01.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TDP-L-shrooms-01.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TDP-L-shrooms-01.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Psilocybin mushroom companies sometimes rely on social influencers to get the word out about their illicit products. Wild Mind Mushrooms, for example, has an affiliate marketing program that provides its marketers with unique codes that shoppers can use to get a discount on infused microdosing capsules, chocolates and teas. (Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI know who\u2019s making these products, I know where they\u2019re coming from, I know they\u2019re safe, I know they\u2019re reliable,\u201d Pastor told The Denver Post in an interview. \u201cSo I feel good to be able to offer people something out there they\u2019re going to be OK to use.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pastor said having a trusted source helps ensure her 73,000 TikTok followers don\u2019t get scammed like she did the first time she tried to buy psilocybin online. \u201cThat happens to people all the time. That\u2019s what\u2019s hard about this space, it\u2019s the Wild West.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sourcing drugs has historically been relegated to the underground, where you had to \u201cknow a guy\u201d to make a purchase. But as the world moved online, so too did the marketplace for drugs. That\u2019s especially true of psychedelics, which are increasingly seen as a potential mental health tool.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps unsurprisingly, traditional advertising opportunities, like radio and television, are limited in the psychedelics space. But as decriminalization efforts have ramped up across the country, some psilocybin mushroom companies have begun relying on social media influencers to get the word out.\u00a0The setup here is similar to how influencer relationships work in dozens of other industries, from travel and clothing to nutritional supplements and pet accessories. In this case, however, the product they\u2019re peddling is illegal to sell in Colorado and entirely illegal in most other states.<\/p>\n<p>The adoption of influencer marketing in psychedelics was inevitable, according to Ricardo Baca, founder and CEO of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mygrasslands.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grasslands<\/a> marketing agency, which focuses on cannabis clients. And those companies that leverage it are following a well-worn path.<\/p>\n<p>Baca (who served as The Denver Post\u2019s first cannabis editor) remembers seeing illicit marijuana growers promote their wares on social media as far back as 2013. Because cannabis remains illegal per federal law, even legit companies in Colorado and other states with legal industries have a hard time advertising on Google and Meta platforms, he said.<\/p>\n<p>One wrong word or picture can get an account blocked without warning. To users, it looks like the account has been deleted. That\u2019s why many cannabis and cannabis-adjacent brands also work with individuals on social media to promote their products.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is exactly what modern influencer marketing is built for,\u201d Baca said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re working with illegal substances your options for marketing that product are extremely limited. So why wouldn\u2019t you go to one of the newest forms of marketing \u2013 one of the least regulated and least understood forms of marketing \u2013 and the marketing that literally positions your brand, your product and your value prop in front of your target audience?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5968686\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/marketing-magic-how-influencers-are-helping-sell-psychedelics-to-social-media-masses-1.jpg\" alt=\"Psilocybin mushroom companies sometimes rely on social influencers to get the word out about their illicit products. Golden Rule Mushroom Company has affiliate marketers who point people to its website, here they can fill a digital basket and check out with the ease of any other e-commerce purchase. (Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post)\" width=\"4032\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/marketing-magic-how-influencers-are-helping-sell-psychedelics-to-social-media-masses-1.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"5968686\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/marketing-magic-how-influencers-are-helping-sell-psychedelics-to-social-media-masses-1.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TDP-L-shrooms-03.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TDP-L-shrooms-03.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TDP-L-shrooms-03.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/TDP-L-shrooms-03.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Psilocybin mushroom companies sometimes rely on social influencers to get the word out about their illicit products. Golden Rule Mushroom Company has affiliate marketers who point people to its website, here they can fill a digital basket and check out with the ease of any other e-commerce purchase. (Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Get ready for mushroom Sunday<\/h4>\n<p>Dig through the right hashtags on Instagram and TikTok and you\u2019ll find dozens of companies selling psilocybin-infused gummies, capsules, chocolates, teas and more via ads and sponsored content. Like other companies, they exude an air of professionalism through distinct brand identities, educational posts and partnerships with content creators and influencers.<\/p>\n<p>Some offer these influencers the opportunity to promote products through affiliate programs. For example, anyone can apply to be an affiliate marketer with Golden Rule and, once approved, receive discounts on personal orders, a discount code to share with their followers, and commissions based on sales. Golden Rule says on its website that its suppliers use mushrooms grown in Colorado. (The company didn\u2019t return email messages seeking comment for this story.)<\/p>\n<p>One of the more eye-catching brands is called Wild Mind Mushrooms. Like Golden Rule, it appears to operate out of Colorado but has affiliate marketers across the country. The people in its network take to social media to showcase and review products, such as various flavored herbal teas infused with psilocybin. (Wild Mind didn\u2019t return calls or emails seeking comment.)<\/p>\n<p>TikTok personality <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@momcallsmebirdy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@momcallsmebirdy<\/a>, for example, regularly invites her more than 91,000 followers to get ready for a \u201cMushroom Sunday\u201d with her. She often starts by preparing a snack before making tea with a Wild Mind blend or throwing one of the company\u2019s chocolates into a smoothie. Her colorful knit sweaters and snippets of her plant-covered apartment add a sense of enchantment to the videos.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always get a lot of questions about how much I take each time I do this and honestly every single time is totally different,\u201d she says in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@momcallsmebirdy\/video\/7295468538431655211?_r=1&amp;_t=8d2UITk6QkE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">one video from October with nearly 1 million views<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>She explains the Wild Mind gummies, each with 250 milligrams of psilocybin, give her a mild buzz but still allow her to hold a conversation and do activities like yoga and journaling.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut when I took the gummies, I was like, you know I probably could have taken two and still been in a great headspace, which makes this tea perfect. The tea is 500 milligrams of psilocybin in each tea bag,\u201d she says while pouring hot water into a mug decorated with cacti. \u201cTo get the best effects, I\u2019m going to let this steep for like 5 to 10 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A 10-pack of Wild Mind tea bags runs $89; however, buyers can snag 10% off by using a discount code from one of its affiliates, who often share them in captions and comments. Input your credit card and shipping information, and the order arrives at your doorstep in about a week.<\/p>\n<p>Liz Dorman applied to be a Wind Mind affiliate after seeing another content creator post about the company. A certified yoga instructor and reiki practitioner, Dorman began using psychedelics, primarily in large doses, as a medicinal form of therapy during the pandemic. Her TikTok account (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@lizsueko?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@lizsueko<\/a>) offers glimpses into her daily life as she discusses living with ADHD, dances enthusiastically and, occasionally, makes mushroom tea.<\/p>\n<p>Dorman doesn\u2019t get paid to post about Wild Mind, but she earns a commission whenever someone uses her unique code on a purchase. Given her robust experience with psilocybin, she feels confident recommending Wild Mind based on the product quality, she said. \u201cI just really like the taste of their products. I personally have used other companies\u2019 products that are similar that just don\u2019t taste as good. I like the ease and convenience of consumption.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Marilyn Motto (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@mushiesandmagic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@mushiesandmagic<\/a>), who also works with Wild Mind, having a trusted source helps her business as a microdosing mentor. She began offering one-on-one guidance to people virtually a couple years ago after informally helping friends integrate, or process, their own psychedelic journeys.<\/p>\n<p>Motto says much of the promotional material around microdosing often promises a quick fix, a misconception she tries to dispel through her social media content and coaching. Though she lives in a state where psychedelics are not decriminalized, Motto thinks it\u2019s important to use her platform to destigmatize plant medicine, especially among queer and neurodivergent folks like herself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe products themselves are great. I tell everyone it\u2019s what you do with them that matters though,\u201d she said. \u201cMicrodosing and psychedelics, in general, helped me so much with unmasking, with reconnecting with myself, with healing a lot of those experiences, shifting a lot of that perspective, as well as getting off the medications I was taking that were really unhelpful.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Legal jams or mishaps<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cMagic mushrooms\u201d and other psychedelics have been decriminalized in Colorado, and it\u2019s now legal to grow, trade and ingest them, and to sell services that support people who use them, typically in a therapeutic context. But selling and advertising psychedelics is definitely illegal.<\/p>\n<p>So, is it also illegal to buy psychedelics? That depends on who you ask.<\/p>\n<p>Wild Mind addresses the subject vaguely in its online FAQs, stating \u201cthe legality of magic mushrooms varies widely\u201d and advising potential customers to \u201cresearch and understand the current laws and regulations in your area before considering any involvement with magic mushrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Golden Rule\u2019s take is slightly more explicit: \u201cOur company operates within a decriminalized zone, but that legislation does not necessarily apply to you. As a customer, you agree to take responsibility for your own choices,\u201d the website reads in part.<\/p>\n<p>According to Denver-based lawyer Sean McAllister, who specializes in cannabis and psychedelics law, only sellers are intended to be held liable for an illegal transaction in Colorado. The penalties are the same as distributing any other controlled substance, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s odd, but the idea is you don\u2019t want to punish the unwitting purchaser who doesn\u2019t know whether it\u2019s legal or not,\u201d he said. \u201cThe only thing they\u2019re doing is acquiring medicine, which is legal under Colorado law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, Jerrico Perez, partner at another leading local law firm in the space called Vicente, disagrees. \u201cMy understanding is that would be engaging in activity that is not permitted under the law, therefore it would be illegal,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>As for influencers and affiliate marketers, they too could be breaking Colorado\u2019s rules since the law prohibits advertising, Perez said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the question right \u2013 what is advertising? I would say what you\u2019re doing inherently as an influencer, by nature, is likely going to fall under advertising,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Wild Mind\u2019s affiliate application attempts to shield the company from potential liabilities with disclaimers stating marketers \u201cagree to keep us and our crew out of any legal jams or mishaps that might arise from your mushroom adventures,\u201d and \u201cwe can\u2019t bail you out if you get caught in a legal pickle.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related right\"> <\/aside>\n<p>The best way to stay out of trouble, McAllister said, is to grow your own or find another adult who is willing to share with you. Both of those options are protected in the scope of decriminalization.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I tell people is just because someone is doing something doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s legal. And there are lots of examples of illegal behavior,\u201d McAllister said. \u201cTo me, much of this activity is tolerated because it\u2019s not a high priority for law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Back on TikTok and Instagram, influencers don\u2019t appear phased by the potential risks. In December, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@millennialstoner\/video\/7308537549348277546?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@millennialstoner unboxed<\/a> new Wild Mind products and noshed on a psilocybin-infused Nerd rope as she touted the company\u2019s good manufacturing processes. Another influencer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C12NiHQR_wQ\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@chelseasjoint, made tea<\/a> and had a \u201cmushie day\u201d in a park in January.<\/p>\n<p>In her uber-popular video, @momcallsmebirdy put it succinctly: \u201cLike I\u2019m sorry, but if it\u2019s wrong to drink my little mushroom tea and sit in front of my TV fireplace and journal in my little mushroom journal about world peace and human connection, then I don\u2019t want to be right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/newsletter-signup\/in-the-know\">Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThis is exactly what modern influencer marketing is built for.&#8221; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7604,5062,52,6811,1345,6892,10649,8033,10621,7938,4995,77,9,7300,10650,8146,5019,8147,8148,5236,6845,7276,1,3,7072,6923,10651,61,1736],"tags":[7606,5063,2632,6816,3915,6893,10652,8051,10622,7939,4996,2655,7305,10653,8151,5022,8152,8153,5238,6846,7278,7073,6924,10654],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10076"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10076\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}