CBD Advertisements Being Quietly Targeted By Facebook

CBD is continuing to explode in popularity. As the CBD boom occurs, many businesses, from small mom and pop shops to large corporations are seeking to advertise their CBD products in order to grow their business. One medium being successfully utilized by a number of advertisers to reach a massive audience is Facebook. However, Facebook’s more than 2.3 billion monthly users can expect to not see any CBD advertisements popping up in their feed, even those who live in states or countries where the cannabis-derived compound is legal.

Facebook Making Decisions About What It’s Users Can Post

According to The Verge, a spokesperson for Facebook confirmed that, “users are not allowed to post ads mentioning CBD or ingestible hemp, and that paying to promote posts that mention those products is also not allowed.”

There is no written Facebook policy that states CBD advertisements are prohibited. The Verge article continues remarking, “The only sign of that in the company policies is a prohibition against illegal products or services, drugs & drug-related products, and unsafe supplements, the last of which is “as determined by Facebook in its sole discretion.” For Facebook, that “sole discretion” means that CBD is treated the same as any other marijuana derivative, a bizarre policy for those familiar with the extract.”

What makes the undetailed nature of Facebook’s policies towards CBD advertisements so harmful is that users are now left in the dark as to whether or not they will have their Facebook accounts deleted for merely advertising the products they sell.

Facebook’s Actions Have Real Life Consequences

According to the Johnson City Press, when Will Casey, the founder of both the Healing Vibes Hemp Company and the Mountain Roots Hemp Dispensary & Cafe attempted to advertise his CBD offerings on Facebook, he learned first hand about the company’s adverse feelings towards hemp derived products. “They actually ended up shutting our page down,” said Casey.

Though Casey’s account was eventually reinstated, his company could no longer boost posts, which allows for a Facebook post to be shown to a much wider audience. Being unable to boost a post can severely limit the advertising a company can do on Facebook and can do lasting damage to a company’s ability to increase its brand recognition.
To be fair to their users, Facebook must establish clear guidelines as to how CBD companies can advertise on their platform. Otherwise, companies who work in the CBD industry, which is expected to grow to more than $20 billion in the next 5 years, will be more willing to take their advertising dollars elsewhere.

Lane is based in Southern California and is a content curator for Medical Marijuana 411. He spends his free time playing guitar and walking on the beach. He focuses his research into finding informative stories that can help medical marijuana patients better understand their diverse medicine.

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