Meta’s updating its policies on cannabis-related products, with a new title for this category, as well as updated rules around how CBD advertisers need to conduct their promotions on the platform.

Effective today, Meta’s renaming its ‘Hemp & Related Products’ ad policy to ‘CBD & Related Products’, which will cover a broader scope of legally permissible CBD products in the US.

Under the updated policy, advertisers will no longer need specific permissions to run ads which:

• Promote or offer the sale of hemp products that don’t contain CBD or >0.3% THC (e.g. hemp seed and hemp fiber) in Canada, Mexico and the United States, provided that they comply with all applicable local laws, required or established industry codes and guidelines
• Educate, advocate, or give public service announcements related to CBD and related products, provided that such ads don’t offer any prohibited products for sale

Meta says that advertisers will still be prohibited from running ads that promote THC products, or cannabis products that contain psychoactive components, in line with its existing rules.

Meta will also now allow the promotion of CBD products that are certified by Legitscript (which also requires written permission from Meta upon obtaining Legitscript certification), and comply with applicable local laws.

Ads for CBD products are also not eligible for targeting to users under 18 years of age.

The updated policies only relate to advertisers in the regions noted above, and again, are based on local laws and restrictions. Meta also notes that products which fall under its policy on Prescription Drugs are not included in this update.

With the rules around cannabis use changing, every platform has had to update its policies, with Twitter also recently changing its regulations around CBD promotions.

US regulators are shifting their perceptions of cannabis products, and as they do so, it makes sense for each platform to align with this, in order to facilitate more ad opportunities – but it is important to note the legal requirements in each state.

You can read more about Meta’s CBD and Related Products policy here.