If you thought Twitter was going up in smoke, here come ads for marijuana.
Twitter said in a Wednesday blog post that it has updated its cannabis ads policy to allow marketing of cannabis products in states where THC is legal, making it the first social media platform to be fully marijuana-positive. Let the 420 puns begin!
“The cannabis space on Twitter is fun and engaging with users Tweeting about their experiences using cannabis – whether medicinally, for wellness, or recreation – as well as recommending brands, products, and retail locations,” Twitter said in its post. “The conversation also reflects where the cannabis industry is currently heading: legislative/policy reform, business development, and community impact.”
But as cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, Twitter will be limited in where it can show ads for weed. The types of ads allowed will include “brand prefernce and informational cannabis-related content for CBD, the, and cannabis-related products and services.”
“As of today, in certain U.S. states we have taken measures to relax our cannabis ads policy to create more opportunities for responsible cannabis marketing – the largest step forward by any social media platform.”
Meta, Reddit and Google currently have more restrictive rules around ads for cannabis products, mostly only allowing those that contain CBD – a non-psychoactive component – and traces of THC in topical form. And video formats like YouTube are largely off-limits.
Twitter says it will only accept ads from state-licensed advertisers that will geographically target areas where the products can be legally sold.
Though its a social-media first, it’s hardly a shocking move for new Twitter owner Elon Musk, who infamously smoked a blunt on the Joe Rogan podcast and loves to make jokes about “4:20” – the time of day when marijuana is ideally consumed, according to ancient lore.
The cannabis industry has had its own struggles as legal weed comes online, with a lack of banking infrastructure and severe tax rates driving much of the industry toward the black market. Twitter says it hopes to help solve some of those problems by normalizing it.
“As for the impact on the cannabis industry: let’s just say we’ve got high expectations.”
