CBD · Cannabis · Vape · UK-wide
The UK digital agency built for CBD, cannabis & vape brands
PayPal won’t take your money. Google won’t run your ads. Mailchimp won’t send your emails. We’ve spent 15+ years building and marketing CBD, cannabis and vape brands around exactly those problems — and we know what works instead.
Why a generalist agency will let you down
“High risk” means the normal playbook doesn’t work
Most agencies find this out on your invoice. We found it out fifteen years ago, and built our services around it.
What you’re locked out of
- Payments: PayPal, Stripe, Shopify Payments, GoCardless and most high-street acquirers decline CBD and vape merchants.
- Advertising: Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Meta boosted posts, TikTok and YouTube ads all prohibit CBD and vape products in the UK.
- Platforms: Mailchimp, Amazon UK, eBay, TikTok Shop and many apps refuse the category outright.
- Rules: ASA/CAP Code, Novel Foods, TRPR and the vape regulations mean one careless claim can cost you a listing, a gateway or a fine.
What we do instead
- High-risk gateways that approve CBD and vape, integrated properly into Shopify, WooCommerce or custom stores.
- SEO and AEO — organic Google and AI-assistant visibility that can’t be switched off by an ad policy.
- Email, affiliates, PR, content and banner ads on platforms and publications that welcome the industry.
- Compliance-aware copy and design, so your site sells hard without making claims that get you delisted.
Every digital service your brand needs, from one specialist
Web design, ecommerce, payments, SEO, AI search, advertising and support — built for CBD, cannabis and vape, delivered across the UK.
CBD Web Design
Beautiful, compliant CBD websites that convert cautious first-time buyers into customers.
Learn moreCannabis Web Design
Hemp, medical cannabis clinics, seed banks, headshops and accessories — sites that respect the rules.
Learn moreVape Web Design
TRPR-aware vape websites with age verification and payment gateways that stay switched on.
Learn moreShopify
Shopify stores for CBD and vape, with a payment gateway that actually approves you.
Learn moreEcommerce
WooCommerce, Shopify or custom — online stores with age checks, subscriptions and B2B pricing.
Learn morePayment Gateways
Merchant accounts and gateways for high-risk products, integrated and tested.
Learn moreSEO
Organic search strategy for brands locked out of paid ads. Technical, content, authority.
Learn moreAEO / AI Search
Be the brand ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews name when someone asks for CBD or vape.
Learn moreBanner Advertising
Display campaigns on the networks and publications that accept CBD and vape.
Learn moreMarketing
Compliant growth channels for high-risk brands: email, affiliates, content, PR, influencers.
Learn moreEmail Marketing
Automated flows and campaigns on CBD- and vape-friendly platforms. Your most profitable channel.
Learn moreWebsite Reviews
A free, honest audit of your site and marketing by people who know the industry.
Learn moreStartup Packages
Brand, website, store, payments, hosting and launch marketing — one partner, one plan.
Learn moreHosting & Support
Fast UK hosting, backups, security and a real person to call.
Learn moreSpecialists, not tourists
We understand your customers. Frankly, we are your customers.
420 Web Design is the CBD, cannabis and vape arm of dijitul, a Nottingham digital agency. We’ve been building and marketing sites in this space for 15+ years — through the Novel Foods shake-out, the TRPR, the disposable vape ban and every payment-provider U-turn in between.
- We know which gateways will actually underwrite you, and what they’ll ask for.
- We know what a product page can and can’t say in the UK.
- We know which email, review and affiliate platforms tolerate the category.
- We know how to rank — and how to get recommended by AI assistants — when you can’t buy traffic.
Built for high-risk, heavily regulated industries
We don’t do dentists and estate agents. We do this.
How it works
No jargon, no lock-in, no surprises.
- 1
Free review
Send us your URL. We audit design, speed, SEO, AI visibility, checkout and compliance and tell you straight what’s costing you sales.
- 2
Plan & quote
A fixed-price proposal with clear scope. Payment gateway, platform and channel recommendations included — not left for you to discover later.
- 3
Build & launch
Design, development, gateway integration, age verification, content and tracking. You approve every stage.
- 4
Grow & support
SEO, AEO, email, affiliates and banner campaigns, plus UK hosting and a real person on the phone.
Guides for UK CBD, cannabis & vape businesses
The questions we get asked every week, answered properly.
CBD payment gateways UK
Who will take your money, who won’t, and how to get approved.
Learn moreCBD advertising rules UK
Google, Meta, ASA, Novel Foods and the channels that still work.
Learn moreVape advertising rules UK
TRPR, ASA, the disposables ban and the channels vape brands can still use.
Learn moreStraight answers
Can you really get a payment gateway for a CBD or vape website in the UK?
Yes. Mainstream providers (PayPal, Stripe, Shopify Payments, Square) won’t board you, but a number of UK and EU acquirers and gateways specialise in high-risk categories and will, subject to underwriting. We prepare the application, integrate the gateway into your store and test it end to end. See our payment gateway service and the UK CBD payment gateway guide.
If we can’t use Google Ads or boosted posts, how do we get customers?
Through channels that can’t be switched off by an ad policy: search engine optimisation, answer engine optimisation (being recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Overviews), permission-based email and SMS, affiliate and influencer programmes, PR and content, plus banner advertising on niche networks and publications that accept the category. That is our whole marketing offer.
Do you only work with businesses near Nottingham?
No. We’re based in Nottingham but work with CBD, cannabis and vape brands across the whole of the UK — London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast and everywhere between. Everything is delivered remotely with calls, screen-shares and a shared project board. See areas we cover.
Is the website review genuinely free?
Yes, and there’s no obligation. You get a plain-English report on what’s holding your site and marketing back, with the fixes in priority order. If you want us to do the work, great; if you’d rather do it yourself, that’s fine too. Request yours.