SAN FRANCISCO—Blocked from posting images of their plants, banned from fun dance videos in the garden, and forbidden from showing off epic bong rips, cannabis companies have found themselves retreating to the last platform still open to them: LinkedIn. Once reserved for corporate updates and networking, LinkedIn is now host to a wave of cannabis brands attempting to become “industry thought leaders”—a move that’s left the usual crowd feeling a bit unsettled.

“We have no other choice,” said Natalie Cruz, Digital Marketing Manager at CannaBright Co., whose last post titled “Scaling Green Synergies for Sustainable Growth” got dozens of confused likes. “We’d love to be showing off the plant and products, but instead, we’re here on LinkedIn, dropping buzzwords and talking TradRetail.”

Cannabis companies are embracing the LinkedIn vibe, reshaping their brands with posts about “cross-functional synergies” and “supply chain optimization”—but under the corporate language, they’re clearly longing for the days of #PlantPics. “My last post was about ‘promotional strategies in cannabis retail,’” said Cruz, sighing. “All I really want to do is show people how to do a massive bong rip, but this is where we’re at.”

For LinkedIn regulars, the sudden flood of cannabis “industry insights” has been jarring. “It’s a bit strange seeing posts about quarterly projections right next to ‘Thoughts on Edible Wellness and Workplace Flow,’” admitted HR director Colin Meyers. “But hey, they seem committed to the LinkedIn tone. I mean, I never thought I’d read the words ‘420-friendly optimization strategies,’ but here we are.”

At press time, Greenwave Collective had posted an article titled “5 Ways Cannabis Can Boost Your Company Culture,” signaling that the cannabis industry’s LinkedIn takeover may just be getting started.