Cannabis Affiliate Programs (Best and Worst)

By Toni Allen | Last update: March 12, 2024

A detailed guide to the best and worst affiliate programs in the cannabis niche.

With so many cannabis affiliate programs popping up, and then closing unexpectedly… it can be difficult to know which programs to trust and invest your time in promoting.

Below you’ll find a round-up of the best performing cannabis affiliate programs and networks, along with my personal reviews and experience in promoting them. If you publish a website or have a social media following and are looking for an extra income in the cannabis niche, I think you will find this page useful.

Advertising disclosure: This page is user supported by affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through links on this site, I receive a commission. Thanks!

Best Performing Cannabis Affiliate Programs

The following are cannabis affiliate programs that have been the best performing in my 5+ years of experience promoting them on my network of websites. I think these are the best bets for monetizing your traffic:

ILGM Seed Affiliate program

Ilovegrowingmarijuana (ILGM) – offers premium feminized plus autoflowering cannabis seeds and more. ILGM has been the best converting seed affiliate program in my experience & they actually pay. Lots of resources & educational materials for affiliates.

  • 20% on sales, 90 day cookies
  • 2nd tier referrals earn 25% of sub affiliate commissions
  • deep links are easy to create

ILGM is worth checking out. Ships to Australia, New Zealand, USA, and the UK.

avid hemp affiliate logo

Avid Hemp Affiliate Program

Avid Hemp – High converting established CBD brand with great affiliate management. Smart product line including keto-friendly CBD gummies.

  • Pays 30% commissions
  • Datafeed and wholesale available

Avid hemp has been the one best performing CBD affiliate programs for me in the past few years. Sign up form here.

DSH HUB Affiliate Program

DSH HUB – Retail & Wholesale cannabis accessories, including e-rigs, grinders, papers and just about anything you can imagine — shipped from California.

  • Pays 15% commission & tiered commissions
  • Data feeds & coupons available.

In recent years, DSH Hub has been the best performing & most reliable headshop affiliate program — so I am happy to recommend them.

Also see my full list of CBD & hemp oil affiliate programs.

Next, I review which affiliate networks allow marijuana-related businesses on their network and the types of programs you’ll find there.

Affiliate Networks with Cannabis Merchants

Affiliate Networks connect advertisers with affiliates (publishers, content creators, influencers) etc. These networks give affiliates access to a huge range of products and services while consolidating and simplifying payments. Here are the ad networks with the best reputation and have offers in the cannabis niche.

ShareASale Advertising Network

Shareasale.com – Shareasale is the longest running and most reputable affiliate network that supports legitimate cannabis-related merchants.

If you don’t already have an affiliate account with Shareasale, you’ll need to sign for one before you can access the affiliate programs for these merchants:

  • Avid Hemp – High converting brand with great affiliate management. Pays 30% commissions on their CBD gummies, vape juice, oil, topicals and more. Datafeed available. Wholesale also available. Sign up form here.
  • D8 Super Store – Large variety of Delta-8, Delta-9, Delta-10, THCo, HHC, CBN and other cannabinoid-based products. Pays 30% commissions and 90-day cookie. Over 200 products in their datafeed, managed via Shareasale.
  • DSH HUB – Retail & Wholesale cannabis accessories, including e-rigs, grinders, papers and just about anything you can imagine.
  • Ardent Decarboxylators – Unique product that helps folks make their own edibles from home.

And if you are a merchant, and looking to reach a wider base of publishers and affiliates – you should check out Shareasale’s merchant services.

Overall, Shareasale is my top choice for affiliate network for both cannabis publishers & advertisers. But, here are other affiliate networks worth looking at:

Green Affiliates Network

Green Affiliates is a newer, but growing network dedicated solely to cannabis-related brands – especially seed banks & Canadian cannabis companies. Some of their brands include:

  • HydroPros – Grow supply shop with tents, nutrients and just about anything else a home or micro-grower could need. Ships to the US & Canada.
  • Crop King Seeds – My personal favorite brand of seeds, they convert well as an affiliate program, too!

CBDAffs Affiliate Network

CBDAffs – This new network is focused solely on CBD brands and products. They have about 50 offers from US & international online CBD stores to promote. Also offer 5% of tiered referrals.

Is CBDAffs Legit? I’ve yet to make any sales or paid for affiliate referrals from CBDAffs, so I’m unable to vouch for their legitimacy at this time.

Impact Affiliate Network

Impact was slow to jump on the cannabis bandwagon, but now have growing roster of CBD and cannabis-accessory merchants available for affiliates to promote. Some of the biggest brands in the world use Impact because they are tracking pros & very reliable. I’ve been using them for many years.

CJ Affiliate Network

CJ.com has a few dozen CBD and vaping merchants including:

If you aren’t already a CJ affiliate, it’s worth signing up as they are one of the biggest & oldest networks around.

RevOffers (Katalys) Performance Marketing

RevOffers (aka Katalys) have only been around for a few years, but and have a handful of CBD, cannabis-ancillary, and alternative health product brands.

However, I find that they close merchants/remove tracking on links without notifications, and after years on the platform — I still have not made any sales from them. Overall, I can’t recommended them as a reliable affiliate network at this time.

Clickbank Network

Clickbank – Clickbank is another longtime affiliate network that has some cannabis-related information products, however I’ve had no luck with them and I find their marketplace filled with a lot of low-quality/scammy products. But, maybe you’ll find a product that will work for your audience.

More Cannabis Affiliate Programs

The following is a list of the “best of the rest” cannabis affiliate programs, and notes of my own experience with them. I’ve organized these into categories like grow equipment, online dispensaries, education, etc.

Grow Affiliate Programs

Cannabis grow equipment like tents, lighting, hydroponics and all the accessories can add up to nice affiliate commissions. Here is a shortlist of cannabis growing affiliate programs with the best products and marketing tools:

The Bud Grower – Complete grow kits for beginners to advanced home growers. Their Signature LED indoor grow kit is an often cited and photographed on forums and social media, which helps with conversion. Pays 10% per sale. Managed on Shareasale.

APotforPot.com – Micro-grow kits with everything included for under $100. Pays 15% commission, 90 Day Cookie. Deep linking available & free “grow marijuana like a houseplant” ebook to promote sales. I have made sales & been paid by APotforPot, so I’m happy to recommend them to other affiliates.

Cropkingseeds.com – Canadian seed company with pre-fem-auto and dwarf varieties. Though I am a happy customer of their seeds, I’ve made only a few sales as an affiliate. Not sure if the program is actively managed. Pay-Per-Sale 20% for each sale you deliver. (5% on sub-affiliates) $200.00 USD – Minimum balance required for payout.

GrowAce – Grow tents, lights, nutrients and full kits. But also hard to find items like Rosin Presses, Trimming machines and cloning kits. Pays affiliates 10% Commission with 30 day cookies. Program runs on Refersion (my least favorite affiliate platform). I haven’t had much luck promoting GrowAce, and I can’t recommend at this time. If you have experience with them, please comment below!

Cannabis-seeds-store.co.uk – The Vault is a seed bank featuring a huge range of breeders. Bitcoin accepted. Worldwide shipping. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to make any commissions, including from my dozen+ sub-affiliates. Pays10% for each and every sale you deliver + 10% 2nd tier and offers an affiliate sign up bonus.

With more and more states & countries legalizing or decriminalizing growing marijuana — there has been a surge in growing supply providers. See my full list of cannabis grow equipment & seed affiliate programs here.

Cannabis Education & Courses

The following offer online courses for certifications related to cannabis:

THC University.org –  Offers courses on cultivation and beyond, including a growing course by Jorge Cervantes (his books are my fav)! $25 per student sign up, Monthly payouts, and 30-day cookie.

Greencultured.co – Offers a variety of certifications and training related to cannabis industry. Founded in 2012 and based in Colorado. Pays 60% commission on most courses. Unique coupon codes available. I have made (and been paid for) a few sales, but their affiliate backend is extremely slow, and I am skeptical their tracking in recent years.

HowtoGrowWeed420.com – Not recommended. Course on Growing Marijuana, eBook & membership. Unfortunately, they closed /re-opned their affiliate program without notifying me to pay out or update links, after making (meager) sales. Doesn’t make me confident about their legitimacy, and I can’t recommend.

Online Dispensary Affiliate Programs

Buying cannabis online is likely to be a growing industry for months and years to come. Please be aware that many online dispensaries are currently operating in the grey market. Some are operating quasi-legally (or completely illegally), and can get shut down without paying their affiliates.

Here are online dispensaries with affiliate programs, and notes of my own experience with them – please leave your comments below to share your own experiences:

USA-based Online Dispensary Affiliate Programs

Emjay online dispensary is a fast growing dispensary & delivery service based in California. Commission: 6% of sales, offers coupon codes and other discounts. Program is managed on Shareasale.

Amuse – Legal cannabis delivery service. Pays $10-$30 CPA. Program managed on Impact. I have no experience with this program to comment on conversion.

Eaze – On-demand cannabis delivery in California. Pays $25 CPA. Affiliate program is managed on the Impact platform.

Canadian Online Dispensary Affiliate Programs

SupHerbs Canada – is an online marijuana dispensary based in Alberta, with Canada-wide shipping or same-day delivery in Calgary. Pays 15% on sales. I have mixed feelings about SupHerbs affiliate program as I did receive a few small payments from SupHerbs this year, however 90% of my sales have been reversed.

Speedgreens.co – Large selection from bargain to top-shelf flower and extracts. Fast shipping within Canada. Pays 10% commission on sales. Managed in-house. Conversion not great so far (but have made some sales, not enough for payout). I do not know if Speedgreens are legit — please comment if you have experience with Speedgreens as a customer or affiliate!

Cannabismo – Is a Canada-only online dispensary with free shipping and large selection of flower, shatter and just about anything else. Cannabismo Warning: they have changed affiliate programs multiple times in the past year, and while they have paid for some sales — they don’t seem reliable in my experience (hey Cannabismo — get in touch, and prove me wrong!)

Headshop Affiliate Programs

Grasscity.com – Large online headshop and magazine. Bongs, Bubblers, Vaporizers and much more. Pays 10% Referral fees and offers Tiered Commissions. Refer sub-affiliates for 5% of their sales.

HeadShop.com – Bongs, dab rigs, vaporizers, and innovating smoking accessories Pays 10% – 15% commission, and boasts a giant 16,000+ product datafeed. You can find their affiliate program on Shareasale.

GreenGoddessSupply – Popular smoke shop with wide range of merchandise including glass, grinders, vapes and various bundles (great gift ideas). The commission is 10-18% depending on volume.

Smoke Cartel – brands itself as the “best online headshop”, and has a great selection of bongs, glass, vaporizers, dab rigs and just about any other accessory imaginable. However, they closed their in-house affiliate program without notifying existing affiliates and re-opened it in Shareasale.

Also see my full list of Vape Affiliate Programs.

CBD & Health Affiliate Programs

We have a full page of CBD affiliate programs, because the list would be too big to fit here. But, here are a few of the top performing CBD affiliate programs that I have experience with:

Pure CBD Now – Huge datafeed with gummies, topicals, carts, and beyond. Pays 15% commissions with 30-Day cookies and managed via Shareasale.

Avid Hemp – Many unique product offerings including high-potency, full spectrum CBD Vape Juice and Keto CBD oil.

CBD Pets – Pays 40% commission on sales +5% on sub-affiliate referrals.

NotPot CBD Gummies – Vegan CBD supplements. Program via Shareasale.

Misc. Affiliate Programs

Pass A Drug Test – Cleanse & testing kits. Pays 20% commission and managed on the Shareasale network.

Dr. Weedy.com – Medical MMJ Card Affiliate for California and New York. Pays 10% on referred orders. Note: tracking is very minimal, and doesn’t even report traffic, I’m not sure if legit.

How Do Cannabis Affiliate Programs Work?

There are many cannabis-related business opportunities to consider, and one without much investment, is affiliate marketing. This is where you promote other businesses’ products & services and receive a commission.

Merchants provide marketers with tools (like affiliate links, datafeeds, and coupons) to help promote their products. Marketers in turn receive commissions for successful customer referrals, generally a percentage of each sale.

The simplest way to get started as an affiliate is to find merchants with products that suit your audience and add the links to your site. Networks like Shareasale and Impact are good places to start your search.

What’s the Difference Between Cannabis and Marijuana?

Cannabis can refer to hemp or marijuana — both derived from the Cannabis plant. Marijuana is a term specifically used in reference to cannabis that contains notable levels of THC, while hemp refers to cannabis plants with little to no THC.

See this diagram:

hemp vs marijuana diagram

More Resources for Affiliates

Have a Suggestion?

Please leave a comment below if you have a recommendation for a program that we missed. If it seems legitimate, I’ll add it to this page.

Something broken? Please comment below and I’ll aim to fix asap.

Thanks!

Toni Allen
Latest posts by Toni Allen (see all)

    23 thoughts on “Cannabis Affiliate Programs (Best and Worst)”

      • Well, I’ve got a small amount of referrals from SpeedGreens and just requested a payment from them. I’ll post here with results / updates shortly.

        Reply
        • Update: I was below their payment threshold, so they offered to give me store credit or wait until I’ve met the minimal payment amount.

          Reply
    1. And how would any website market that affiliate plan? Are these farmers providing Product Pics, Descriptions, THC levels, child Proof packaging, Shipping rates, (Insured)? Are their products lab tested for contaminates, poisonous chemicals, insecticides, etc? How long have they been in business and how much longer will they be in business after subscribing to a Black-Market Affiliate Program? I’m not being facetious, I’d love to start an affiliate platform for this market…but I also want to stay outside the penal institution too.

      Reply
      • Conversion not horrible. I’ve made a few sales just from the link on this page, but still under the minimum threshold for payout. Will report if I have any issues when payout time arrives, but I’m actually optimistic.

        Have you reached out to them?

        Reply
        • Yes, they are not very responsive. Not worth getting involved with. Thanks for the page though. Some of the others good in CBD and Hemp for sure.

          Reply
    2. Hi
      Does anyone know if these cannabis related affiliate programs can be used if i am UK based but hosting my site on servers in the US?
      Any help would be greatly appreciated
      Thank You

      Reply
      • Best to consult UK-based attorney for any possible legal issues. But, broadly-speaking:- most of the affiliate programs listed here are not limited geographically.

        For web hosting, best to check with your host to make sure you are not violating any of their policies, or use a web host that is cannabis-friendly like glowhost. (that’s an affiliate link).

        Reply
    3. If I were to review, I would suggest staying away from GreenSociety.
      I signed up as an affilaite with them just over a month ago as well as signed up with other programs in Canada.
      According to GS stats, I havve had almost 400 visits in less than a month with no conversion. Not one!!
      Compared to other sites where I have had 15-20 visits with 5-6 conversions in a week’s time!!
      Contact GS to inquire and they told me that all info was correct.
      I myself think it is a SCAM. Do not believe they are as honest as they claim.
      Lots of bad reviews on Reddit.
      Just my experience-anyone else?

      Reply
      • Not sure if GS was a scam, but they definitely don’t convert for me, either. This usually means 1) problems with tracking or 2) they suck at converting.

        Since I found them because I was bought off them, I think they have tracking problems.

        Reply

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