Facebook and Instagram Quietly Lift Marijuana Search Censorship, Sparking Buzz

OG Article

• Ben Adlin Marijuana Moment

• Jun 16, 2005

In a surprising shift, Meta’s social media giants, Facebook and Instagram, appear to have stopped blocking search results for terms like “marijuana” and “cannabis.” After years of heavy-handed censorship that frustrated users and businesses alike, this unannounced change—spotted in early June 2025—has the cannabis community buzzing. Here’s the scoop on what’s happening, why it matters, and the rocky road that led to this moment, all wrapped up in a lively, four-minute read.

For ages, typing “marijuana” or “cannabis” into Facebook or Instagram’s search bar was a dead end. Users got vague error messages like “Try searching for something else,” a tactic Meta used to dodge legal heat over federally illegal substances. Posts about cannabis, even legal hemp or advocacy, often vanished or got shadowbanned, with accounts suspended without warning. Brady Cobb, CEO of Sunburn Cannabis, summed up the frustration: “For years, cannabis businesses have been unable to share information with their followers or use social media as a marketing tool.” This hit hard in states like California, where legal cannabis sales hit $5.9 billion in 2024, per the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

The change came to light when users noticed searches for “marijuana,” “cannabis,” and even strain names like “OG Kush” suddenly worked, pulling up posts, profiles, and ads. Marijuana Moment confirmed this on June 5, 2025, finding no restrictions across terms that were once taboo. While Meta hasn’t made a peep—its policies still ban “promoting drug use” or selling illegal substances—the shift suggests a response to growing pressure. “It’s long overdue,” said Morgan Fox of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “Social media is a key space for education and advocacy, and these restrictions were stifling free speech.”

The backdrop? Cannabis is legal for adult use in 24 states and medical use in 38, covering 74% of Americans, according to Pew Research. Yet, Meta’s old rules, rooted in the 2018 Farm Bill’s hemp legalization, treated all THC talk as radioactive. This led to absurdities: hemp businesses with 0.3% THC products got flagged, while alcohol brands posted freely. In 2023, Meta loosened ad rules for CBD and hemp but kept search blocks, leaving advocates like Fox fuming: “The inconsistency was maddening.”

Why the change? Experts point to legal cannabis’s economic clout—$32 billion nationwide in 2024, per MJBizDaily—and public opinion, with 70% of Americans backing legalization in a 2024 Gallup poll. Meta’s silence might also reflect caution, as federal prohibition lingers. Still, the move isn’t perfect. Some users report sporadic post removals, and Cobb warns, “We’re not out of the woods—Meta could flip the switch back anytime.”

This echoes the wild history of drug smuggling, from 1970s plane crashes like Carroll County’s to today’s legal battles. As platforms like X show cannabis ads freely, Meta’s step could signal a broader thaw, letting businesses and advocates finally breathe. For now, the cannabis world is celebrating this quiet victory, but they’re keeping one eye on Meta’s next move.