Twitch Bans Cannabis Product Advertising Despite Allowing Alcohol Ads

Cannabis companies cannot buy advertising or otherwise sponsor streamers on the popular online streaming platform Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, after the company updated its branding policies earlier this month. Notably, Twitch’s new branded content policy does allow for the promotion of alcohol products but they must be “marked as mature content” on the platform.

Twitch does allow users to consume cannabis on-stream so long as the person streaming is of-age and located in a place where cannabis has been legalized but its tolerance of cannabis content appears to stop there.

In addition to banning cannabis promotions, Twitch also banned advertisements for tobacco products including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, etc.; weapons such as firearms, explosives, etc.; adult-oriented products or services like pornography, sexual content, or male enhancement products; medical services and products including prescription drugs, “miracle cures,” and drug treatment centers; certain financial services like multilevel marketing, get-rich-quick schemes, and payday loans; and political content including “paid promotion of politicians, political parties, or issues of public debate.”

But while Twitch appears to be prioritizing cannabis censorship, the streaming platform’s parent company Amazon has recently signaled support for national cannabis policy reforms. The online retailer endorsed the 2021 MORE Act — a federal cannabis legalization bill — and said it would stop drug testing its employees for cannabis. In 2022, Amazon also endorsed the States Reform Act, which was a GOP-backed legalization proposal.