Toke of the Town

What Is Facebook’s Problem With Medical Marijuana?

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By on Culture, Medical

Photo: Daylife
Ed Rosenthal smokes marijuana outside of the federal courthouse in San Francisco, 2007.

​It may be great for reestablishing and maintaining contact with friends and family, but if you are a medical marijuana patient looking for more information in your battle for health, don’t count on Facebook.

Famed cannabis cultivation expert and author Ed Rosenthal, the Guru of Ganja, reports that Facebook has censored an ad he tried to run for a book aimed at medical marijuana patients by simply refusing to run it — even though Rosenthal specifically requested that the ad only run in the 14 states where medical marijuana is legal.
“Freedom of the press is restricted to those who own the presses,” Rosenthal said. “This is yet another example of corporate censorship in America.”
Facebook seems to be making it clear that they view seriously ill medical marijuana patients as morally equivalent to crack addicts and meth heads. 

One of Ed’s fans, “Presto Magnifico,” responded with a good idea:
I’m not sure which book/product you’re trying to advertise on Face Book, but you have lots of fans who I’m sure would be willing to post the Ad on their walls and their friend’s walls. The sidebar advertisements receive much less attention from Face Book users than wall posts by their friends anyhow. 
Below is Ed’s correspondence with Facebook, as he reproduced it on his Cannabis Culture blog:

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Hi Ed,

Thanks for writing in. The content advertised by this ad is prohibited. We reserve the right to determine what advertising we accept, and we may choose to not accept ads containing or relating to certain products or services. We do not allow ads for products related to illegal drugs, and will not allow the creation of any further Facebook Ads for this product. We appreciate your cooperation with this policy.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

Lola
Online Sales Operations
Facebook

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Lola,

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. However, our product is not illegal, it is a book that is sold in chain stores and online both in the USA and internationally.

Please note that the ad specified that the it only be viewed in the 14 American states where medical marijuana is legal. This book is a valuable tool to patients in those states.

I am awaiting your response.

-Ed Rosenthal

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Hi Ed,

Thanks for your reply. I understand that the book you are advertising is not illegal. However, we do not allow any products relating to drugs on the site, regardless of where the ad is targeted to.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

Lola
Online Sales Operations
Facebook

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