Dive Brief: 

• Apple, in a "rare" decision, has given the green light to cannabis-related apps in the App Store. 
• Cannabis social app MassRoots led a petition and campaign to Apple, and the efforts were rewarded, as it resulted in the lift of a ban on pot apps. 
• The App Store will begin allowing weed-related apps into the store as long as there are location restrictions that only allow users in areas where pot is legal to utilize the apps. 

Dive Insight: 

Marijuana marketing is still tricky territory with so many legal issues in the mix, and there is undoubtedly a long way to go before marijuana marketing becomes mainstream. Pot-themed publications are banned from several ad networks, and Facebook has a strict set of rules against marketing the drug.

However, there is a lot of money to be made in the industry, so companies with opportunities to capitalize on it that choose ignore the marketing could be left behind in a lucrative industry. Allowing apps into the App Store could be a boom for Apple and weed marketers.