On Sunday, August 3, 2014, Leafly, the Seattle-based cannabis strain website, ran a full-page color ad in The New York Times with the tagline “Just Say Know,” believed to be the first full-page ad by a cannabis company in the paper. It ran a week after the Times editorial board called for an end to federal prohibition. It became a marker of the industry’s move into mainstream media, even as most advertising channels stayed closed to cannabis.
What Happened
The ad appeared on page 17 of the A section (CBS News). “Just Say Know” was a play on Nancy Reagan’s 1980s “Just Say No” anti-drug slogan. The copy pointed medical marijuana patients to Leafly’s database of more than 800 strains and products. Leafly also ran a dispensary finder, which made up much of its business.
Leafly did not say what it paid. Fortune reported that the paper’s base rate for a full page was nearly $180,000, below the roughly $200,000 figure in our original 2014 post. Leafly said it believed this was the first ad from a cannabis business in the Times; the paper did not confirm that, but noted it had run ads for the advocacy group NORML and that “each ad is evaluated on its own merits” (Fortune).
Background
The timing was deliberate. On July 27, 2014, the Times began a series of editorials headlined “Repeal Prohibition, Again,” arguing that marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol. New York had legalized medical marijuana that July. Washington‘s first adult-use stores opened on July 8, 2014, and Leafly had marked that day with a full-page ad in The Seattle Times.
Leafly was founded in 2010 by three web developers and bought in 2011 by Privateer Holdings, a Seattle private equity firm focused on cannabis. Brendan Kennedy ran both. Privateer also owned Tilray, a licensed Canadian medical producer.
Other Cannabis Advertising Firsts
Leafly’s ad was one of several “firsts” that era. In July 2014 our archive covered a video from Canadian seed bank Crop King Seeds that the company promoted as “the world’s first marijuana commercial.” We could not confirm that claim or whether it ever aired on television, so treat it as marketing. What is documented is how narrow the openings stayed. Broadcast TV, Google and most social platforms kept refusing marijuana ads, which is why print and outdoor advertising carried most early brand campaigns.
What Happened Next
Leafly grew into one of the largest cannabis marketplaces. It went public through a merger with the blank-check company Merida Merger Corp. I, which closed on February 4, 2022, and began trading on Nasdaq as LFLY on February 7, 2022 (GeekWire). Falling ad spending from cannabis retailers led to layoffs in 2022 and 2023, and Nasdaq suspended trading in January 2025 for failing listing standards. The shares moved to the over-the-counter market (Cannabis Business Times).
Where It Stands in 2026: Ad Restrictions
Cannabis advertising is still heavily restricted. Google’s ad policy bans ads for substances that “induce highs,” with a narrow exception for topical hemp-derived CBD in a few U.S. markets (Google Ads policy). States add their own rules. Washington, for example, bans cannabis ads within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds and similar sites, limits billboards, bars transit ads and anything that appeals to kids, and requires a 21-and-over notice on most ads (RCW 69.50.369). Adult-use marijuana is still illegal under federal law, which is why national TV networks remain cautious. See our federal marijuana law guide, the Washington marijuana laws guide, and more in cannabis news.
Leafly New York Times Ad FAQ
When did Leafly’s New York Times ad run?
Sunday, August 3, 2014, on page A17 of The New York Times.
What did the Leafly ad say?
Its headline was “Just Say Know,” a twist on Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No.” It promoted Leafly’s database of more than 800 strains for medical marijuana patients.
How much did the ad cost?
Leafly never disclosed it. Fortune reported a base rate of nearly $180,000 for a full page.
Was it the first marijuana ad ever?
No. It was described as the first full-page ad by a cannabis company in The New York Times. The paper had earlier run ads for advocacy groups such as NORML.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.
