Consumers support lifting of social media ad restrictions

Cannabis Health readers are supportive of a new petition calling on social media giants to lift restrictions on the advertising of CBD products.

On Monday 20 June, UK-based wellness company Cellular Goods, announced the launch of an industry-backed petition calling on media giants to lift the advertising restrictions currently facing brands in the sector.

The firm, along with seven leading companies, who together comprise The CBG and CBD Brands Coalition, is urging social media firms and search engines, such as Google and Meta, to remove cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabidiol (CBD) from their list of prohibited content and allow brands to sell and advertise these products on their platforms. 

Over 4.6 billion people use social media, but many media companies have included CBD and CBG in their prohibited content – alongside illegal drugs – and have banned the advertisement of these products on their platforms.

In an open letter to Google and Meta, the coalition says that this blanket ban is not only limiting companies’ ability to  promote their CBG and CBD products to potential consumers, but is “strengthening misconceptions around CBG and CBD”, and “hampering the public’s ability to access verified information about them”.

This it says, is making it more difficult for consumers to make “informed purchasing decisions and learn about their wellness benefits”. 

Following the launch of the petition, Cannabis Health asked readers if they agreed with the calls to lift restrictions on advertising and marketing CBD and CBG online.

More than 160 people responded to polls on LinkedIn and Twitter, with over 90 per cent saying they supported the petition.

David Molloy, founder of DNACBD, said brands should “not be hamstrung” and that the current rules “need to change”.

While Hon Nicholas Forsyth, of CBD Expert, agreed that being able to share more freely would “remove stigma” and “help more people”. 

On Instagram, Cannabis Health followers and CBD consumers were also in support of the petition, with several saying they “absolutely” wanted to see brands permitted to advertise more freely.

As well as restrictions on paid advertising, cannabis-related accounts on the platform also often find themselves subjected to “shadow bans” or even having their account removed completely (as happened to us last year).

Soph Harrop, who runs the Instagram page CBD with Soph, has first hand experience. She says her engagement drops when her posts focus more on CBD, adding how “frustrating” it is.

Elsewhere Instagram user, Mike Strawson, pointed out that alcohol and gambling companies are allowed to advertise, so why not the CBD sector?

He replied: “One hundred per cent with the correct regulation. I’m forced to sit through advertising for alcohol and gambling.”

Anna Chokina, chief executive of Cellular Goods, commented: “CBD and CBG are increasingly  accepted by society as well as across multiple jurisdictions worldwide. Despite this, some leading  technology and social media companies, such as Google and Meta, have implemented blanket bans for  cannabinoid brands on their platforms.

“This anachronistic policy is limiting access to verified  information about CBG and CBD, as well as affecting legitimate businesses and preventing the sector  from reaching its full potential.

“Through this industry-backed petition we are inviting leading technology and social media companies  to remove the blanket ban on the sale of CBG and CBD. Not only will this support the industry’s growth,  but it will also enable the industry to raise awareness so that more people can take advantage of their  wellness benefits.”

The companies in the coalition are Chanelle McCoy Health, Apothem Labs, Clearly Brands, Voyager Life, Kloris, Daye and CiiTech. 

You can sign the petition here 

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