Facebook Not High On Hemp Advertising

Facebook Not High On Hemp Advertising
Andrew McKean
By Andrew McKean



Hemp merchants are being hurt by Facebook and Instagram’s tough advertising policies. 

While hemp is only a cannabis derivative and can’t actually get you high, American small-business entrepreneurs are freaking out about ‘unfair’ ad bans. 

As reported on by The New York Post, business owner Mike Goose, who runs a company that makes tortilla chips out of hemp seeds (pictured above) has wigged out over the fact his ads have been rejected by Facebook since 2019. 

He claims that his ads have been disallowed on the basis that they violate Facebook’s ban on “illegal products or services.” 

Though funnily enough, hemp has been completely legal for decades. 

“Every ad was rejected,” said a frustrated Goose. 

“We’re very confused as to why they would reject them given that hemp was legal.”

Hoping to get some clarity on the matter, Goose contacted a Facebook support staffer who affirmed him that he wasn’t promoting an illegal substance.

However, the support worker said, “At times some content may get detected related to content that has been marked as unsafe.” 

Citing his biggest issue as getting the company name out in the open, Goose’s accessibility troubles highlight the importance of big tech and small business harmonising. 

66 per cent of small businesses in the US use Facebook for advertising and likewise, 41 per cent use Instagram according to a Statista survey. 

Goose continued to affirm the importance Facebook had on his businesses overall success. 

He said that being a company without a major budget, Facebook’s low-cost geographic and interest-based targeting is a huge difference-maker.

While Meta did not respond to a request for comment by The Post, Meta’s ad rules prohibit “the sale or use of illicit or recreational drugs, or other unsafe substances, products or supplements, as determined by Facebook in its sole discretion.” 

This isn’t the first time Facebook has been criticised for enacting needless ad censorship.

B&T has previously reported about a recent Facebook censorship accusation made by New Zealand-based period underwear brand AWWA.

They claimed that Facebook banned an ad for its products as they featured period blood.




Please login with linkedin to comment

Facebook Instagram

Latest News

Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
  • Media

Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm

Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]

Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
  • Advertising

Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth

The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA  Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]