In June 2025, Meta made a move that, while quiet, has significant positive implications for cannabis brands.
For years, businesses and creators navigating cannabis marketing have faced a frustrating reality: being technically allowed to post educational content, while being algorithmically buried for simply using the word cannabis. Even verified, age-gated, compliant accounts found themselves virtually unsearchable, often replaced with warnings urging users to “report drug sales.”
That’s finally changing.
So…What Actually Changed?
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has lifted its internal ban on search terms like “cannabis” and “marijuana”—meaning users can now find compliant cannabis-related accounts, posts, and hashtags through search. Previously, even searching for a regulatory body like the “Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission” returned zero results. Now, it yields real content.
Meta hasn’t officially commented on the shift, but it follows their broader 2024 announcement to scale back content moderation on topics tied to political and public discourse. While cannabis ads are still highly regulated, particularly for products with THC, this organic visibility is a huge step toward normalization.
What It Doesn’t Mean
Let’s be clear: you still can’t run paid ads for THC or psychoactive cannabis products without the proper account setup. Meta’s Cannabis Advertising Policy still regulates:
- Ads promoting THC or related psychoactive cannabis products
- Paraphernalia (bongs, vaporizers, etc.)
- Medical claims or therapeutic language
- Direct purchase instructions
But what’s changed is the opportunity for discoverability. The censorship restrictions have been reduced for compliant cannabis lifestyle brands, educators, and adjacent businesses. That includes cannabis accessories, non-ingestible CBD, hemp products, and advocacy content.
In other words: your cannabis brand can now show up in the feed as long as you play it right.
What This Means for Cannabis Marketers
This moment is not about celebration. It’s about optimization.
If your brand operates in the cannabis or adjacent space (CBD, hemp, mushrooms, kratom), here’s how to leverage Meta’s subtle but significant update:
1. Refresh Your Organic Strategy
Now’s the time to reintroduce cannabis-related keywords into your bios, captions, and hashtags. Keep it compliant and educational, but be direct. Posts that were previously suppressed may now have a second life.
2. Audit Past Content
Review past posts that were hidden or flagged for “violating community guidelines.” You may now be able to repurpose or repost them under updated rules.
3. Don’t Confuse Organic with Paid
Meta’s ad policies haven’t fully caught up. There are still significant regulations around advertising cannabis, CBD, vaporizers,and more without the right compliance account. But you can factor in organic traffic as part of your marketing strategy.
Transparent’s POV: Be Seen, Stay Live
At Transparent eCom, we’ve helped brands like House of Puff, Cookies, and Mood navigate cannabis advertising with full transparency, and we’ve long anticipated a shift like this.
Why? Because the pressure has been mounting. From creators like Brian “Box” Brown to advocacy groups, Meta’s approach to cannabis content has faced serious criticism. As the global agency offering compliance ad accounts and guaranteed ad approval in sensitive verticals, we’ve seen firsthand how frustrating it is to follow every rule and still get censored.
For marketers, it’s a green light to optimize your content strategy. For us personally, it validates what we’ve believed all along: that the future of cannabis advertising is compliant, strategic, and only growing.
Final Considerations: Keep One Eye on the Algorithm
Meta’s update doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing. But visibility is momentum in our industry, and if your brand has been playing small to avoid punishment, now’s the time to step forward with smart, compliant, creative content.
We’ll continue to monitor how this change unfolds, and if you’re ready to make a big splash with this update, let’s chat.
Ready to Finally Run Cannabis Ads Without Getting Flagged?
At Transparent eCom, we specialize in helping cannabis and other sensitive verticals advertise without blocks, bans, or BS. Our compliance ad accounts give you the freedom to say what you actually want to say, and show the products your customers want to see.
👉 Apply now for your compliance ad account
Let’s make your content visible again.