In a letter to Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, a group of cannabis and psychedelic advocacy organizations, led by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), called on the company to end what it describes as “ongoing and disproportionate censorship of content related to cannabis, psychedelics, and harm reduction.”
“Accounts committed to public education, legal and policy advocacy, research dissemination, and harm reduction services — including those of licensed healthcare professionals, nonprofits, and legal businesses — have been routinely shadowbanned, deplatformed, or had their posts removed with little explanation or recourse, despite operating in full compliance with local laws. This suppression is not merely an inconvenience; it is a form of digital marginalization.” — SSDP, in the letter
The groups argue the censorship of cannabis and psychedelics continue amid accelerating overdose deaths and mental health crises, and call on Meta to “end discriminatory bans and shadowbans,” “establish clear, transparent, and consistent content policies that distinguish between promotion of the sale of illegal substances and legitimate drug education and advocacy,” “create a dedicated appeals and accountability process specific to drug-related content that includes community stakeholders and subject-matter experts,” and “engage in regular dialogue with the psychedelic, cannabis, and harm reduction communities to better understand our work and co-create equitable guidelines for content moderation.”
In all, 81 organizations, consisting of students, educators, researchers, advocates, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, joined the letter, calling Meta’s policy “censorship of science, public health, legal, and public policy discourse” and describing the policy as “not an act of neutrality.”
“As the cultural and legal landscapes around these issues evolve,” the letter states, “so too must your policies.”
