KCSA

KCSA Strategic Communications is expanding its presence in the growing cannabis industry with the acquisition of Salar Media Group, which specializes in the sector. SMG founder and CEO Cynthia Salarizadeh is joining KCSA as a managing partner.

Cynthia SalarizadehCynthia Salarizadeh

The New York-based firm's move comes as the trend toward legalized marijuana is intensifying across the country. In addition to Washington, D.C., Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington State all have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 44 states have some form of legal marijuana, ranging from adult recreational use to medical use to “limited medical” use in several states allowing “cannabis extracts.”

Salar Media Group has represented brands that include cannabis tracking software company BioTrackTHC, Humboldt’s Finest and JuJu Royal, the cannabis brand launched by Julian Marley, son of late Reggae star Bob Marley.

KCSA’s cannabis practice works for such clients as cannabis-focused agriculture company Terra Tech, cannabis oil and solution provider Golden Leaf Holdings and Viridian Capital Advisors, a strategic and financial advisory firm dedicated to the cannabis industry. It also includes a related Twitter feed, @KCSA_Cannabis, and a podcast, “The Green Rush,” that discusses cannabis-related issues.