EXCLUSIVE: Montel Williams, Al Harrington Speak Out On Twitter's Historic Cannabis Ad Decision As Social Media Co. Prepares For First Public Discussion

Twitter has made a groundbreaking decision to allow ads for CBD and THC products on its platform, sparking conversations among cannabis industry insiders. This topic was discussed during the "Benzinga Live" show on Wednesday, featuring guests who will be speaking at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference.

In a first for the social media giant, Twitter executives Alexa Alianiello and Rohan Routroy will attend the conference in Miami Beach on April 11 and 12, marking the first time Twitter will be meeting with cannabis industry executives in a public forum.

Al Harrington, former NBA player and CEO of Viola, expressed excitement about the development. "We continue we breaking down barriers, man."

Harrington believes Twitter's decision is "a huge opportunity for all of us as cannabis brands," and anticipates other platforms will follow suit, much like how the sports world has slowly accepted cannabis use.

Actor and activist Montel Williams also weighed in on the matter.

Williams sees Twitter's decision as an opportunity to educate the masses about the benefits of cannabis. He said, "Twitter may now give us that opportunity to do that and not as veiled as it's been."

Williams urged the industry to use this opportunity to share the wealth of peer-reviewed research on cannabis, educating the public about its medicinal properties.

The actor also called on the industry to shift its focus from business-to-business (B2B) to business-to-consumer (B2C) relationships, emphasizing the need for greater consumer education. He expressed hope that the industry will use this newfound freedom on Twitter to sponsor educational segments and share valuable information with the public.

As the cannabis industry celebrates this landmark decision, it remains to be seen how other social media platforms and industries will respond to this shift.

The upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, featuring Twitter executives discussing cannabis advertising for the first time, is sure to generate even more buzz and conversation around this rapidly changing landscape.