By Tyler Knight, Co-Founder, MassRoots

Social Media, a broad term used to describe the vast network of social interactions online, continues to grow in its ability to influence decision-making and reach billions of web users from around the world. The stats speak for themselves: 72% of online adults use social networking sites, Twitter is adding 300,000 users per day, and YouTube reaches more U.S. adults ages 18-34 than any cable network. It seems that digital communications, which social media is a subset of, isn’t going away anytime soon.From my experience in the cannabis industry, people in a range of positions (enthusiasts, patients, business owners, and so on) are looking to social media as a platform for reaching the ‘next level.’ Whether one is looking to find smoking buddies, identify potential investing opportunities, develop business partnerships or find nearby dispensaries, social media is becoming the best way for those in the cannabis industry to achieve their goals in the most efficient and low-cost way possible.High Traffic and UsabilitySocial media is well-known to be a system of networks with high traffic, active user engagement and strong usability. Given these characteristics, those looking to market themselves or their products are well served to take advantage of the impressive particulars in social media. Users on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can set up profiles in minutes, and begin to deliver effective messages to their target audiences in far less time than they’d be able to in any other method of communication. Regardless of what your goal is, you can reach it more quickly and more easily with social media.Rapid InnovationsThe cannabis industry continues to be one full of innovating players, and with platforms like Twitter, it’s easy to stay on top of new developments in the industry. It’s remarkable how many different ways people are continuously developing technologies, products and methods that allow for a variety of advantages in the space, and being involved in cannabis-related social networks is a great way to discover budding startups with great promise.Social IndustryCannabis users are typically social by nature- they enjoy spending time with like-minded folks, engaging one another and sharing commonalities. Social media is a natural place for cannabis enthusiasts to spend their time online, as they’re able to interact and trade ideas with other users. Social media provides the possibility for those involved in the space to stay connected, even when living in remote areas (it’s worth keeping in mind that many of the legal states, including Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, are quite rural).Therefore..It’s hard to get anywhere close to listing the full range of roles that one can occupy in the marijuana space. One could meet a range of dispensary owners, activists, bloggers, entertainers, marketers, and innovators in the space, and still discover new ways to become involved in cannabis. Whatever one chooses to do with cannabis, it’s my firm belief that they’ll benefit by using social media as a platform for their purpose.[author]About the Author: Tyler Knight is the Co-Founder of MassRoots, one of the largest and most active social networks in the cannabis space. [/author]