• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, February 17, 2023

Twitter has updated its advertising policies to allow cannabis ads to run on its service in states where it is legal, in accordance with federal guidelines.

The social site will only accept pre-authorized sellers and cannabis advertisers licensed by appropriate authorities.

Advertisers can only target consumers in U.S. geographical areas in which it is legal to sell and where they are licensed.

Advertisers cannot target Twitter users under the age of 21, and they are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations around cannabis marketing.

"The cannabis space on Twitter is fun and engaging with users Tweeting about their experiences using cannabis -- whether medicinally, for wellness, or recreation -- as well as recommending brands, products, and retail locations,” Alexa Alianiello, U.S. sales and partnerships, at Twitter, wrote in a blog post.

“The conversation also reflects where the cannabis industry is currently heading: legislative/policy reform, business development, and community impact.”

Alianiello also said the company looks forward to helping more customers unlock the power of Twitter Ads to connect with the cannabis conversation and drive their business.

The move, announced earlier this week, follows a similar change to policies on Google Search. The Dangerous Products and Services and Healthcare and Medicines Google Ads policies on January 20, 2023, was updated to allow for the promotion of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals containing cannabidiol (CBD) and topical, hemp-derived CBD products with THC content of 0.3% or less in California, Colorado, and Puerto Rico.

On Google, recreational CBD advertisers must be certified by LegitScript. FDA-approved pharmaceuticals containing CBD must then be certified by Google before they can begin advertising.

Meta also now allows ads for some hemp products, but not THC or CBD products. Reddit allows companies to run ads for topical and non-ingestible hemp-derived CBD products in the U.S.