While “ganjapreneurs” are trying to find strategic ways to promote their business in a legally responsible way, social media platforms are doing nothing more to help them. They even add a layer of difficulty. In protest, the weed community is organizing around the hashtag #CannabisBlackoutDay , an initiative of activist Bess Byers, and plans to refrain from posting Instagram content on October 6, foundation of the platform.
Facebook and Instragram , among others, have modified their algorithms to reduce the scope of business and media pages and, above all, have imposed restrictions on weed-related publications and advertisements, even if do not display the plant or do not promote it directly. The rejection of advertisementsis a reality that the cannabis community knows too well. The platform’s regulations state: “Advertisements must not promote the sale or use of illegal, prescription and recreational drugs and drugs. Avoid using images of tobacco-related accessories (such as waterpipes and cigarette paper); images of cannabis for recreational or medical use and which imply the use of drugs or recreational drugs. ”
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Kyla Lee , a Vancouver-based criminal lawyer, who focuses on impaired driving and cannabis legalization, says it’s heartbreaking to see influencers and businesses being targeted. She believes that banishing them from social media has a devastating effect on public access to information about cannabis.
“After legalization, it will be important for naïve or neophyte users to be able to obtain information on the strains, dosages and products that are best for them,” she says. Since this will not be allowed at multiple levels of sales outlets or advertising campaigns, social media was one way to provide this information. In some ways, it could contribute to the harm that the government is trying to avoid. ”
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