In a quiet but significant shift, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) appears to have lifted its long-standing restrictions on cannabis-related search terms across its social media giants, Facebook and Instagram. This development, first reported by Marijuana Moment, suggests that users can now search for terms like “marijuana” and “cannabis” without encountering content blocks or warnings that previously discouraged such activity.
Until recently, searches involving cannabis would prompt users with a pop-up warning urging them to report “the sale of drugs,” effectively blocking access to pages, hashtags, and posts that mentioned marijuana—even when the content was educational, advocacy-based, or tied to legal cannabis businesses. That policy seems to have been quietly rolled back, and cannabis-related content is now searchable once again on both platforms.
This change aligns with broader shifts in Meta’s content moderation policies. Earlier this year, the Menlo Park-based tech company ended its controversial third-party fact-checking program and began relaxing enforcement around hot-button social issues, including immigration, gender identity, and now, cannabis.
The timing of the rollback may reflect both cultural and economic realities. Cannabis legalization continues to gain momentum across the U.S. and globally, with increasing public support and growing legal markets. Businesses, educators, and health professionals have long criticized Meta’s censorship of marijuana-related content as outdated and overly broad—especially in jurisdictions where cannabis is legal for medical or recreational use.
By allowing users to search cannabis-related terms freely, Meta is taking a step toward aligning with current norms and supporting digital access to health information, social activism, and regulated business. While users can now discover cannabis-related content more easily, it remains unclear whether Meta’s advertising restrictions on cannabis products will also be relaxed.
This policy update marks an important evolution in how major tech platforms navigate the intersection of content moderation and emerging industries. It also raises questions about the consistency of enforcement and the influence of public pressure and industry lobbying on platform policies.
As the cannabis industry continues to expand, digital access to accurate and timely information will be crucial for consumers, advocates, and entrepreneurs. Meta’s move may serve as a bellwether for other platforms weighing how to approach cannabis-related content in an increasingly legal and normalized landscape.
