Google to Allow Hemp & CBD Product Advertising for Certain Markets

Google has announced it will end its ban on hemp and CBD product advertisements in select parts of the U.S. starting next month, Marijuana Moment reports. The internet and technology company updated its “Dangerous Products and Services and Healthcare and Medicines” to reflect the changes, which will start out in California, Colorado, and Puerto Rico.

“On January 20, 2023, the Dangerous Products and Services and Healthcare and Medicines Google Ads policies will be 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.” — Excerpt from Google’s update

In order to advertise hemp and CBD products on the massive online platform, interested companies will need to apply for eligibility from LegitScript, a third-party payments processing company working with Google. “Certification will require that products sought to be advertised: (1) provide samples of their product to test for compliance with legal THC limits; and (2) provide LegitScript a third-party Certificate of Analysis,” the company said.

Companies can begin “immediately” on the application process but LegitScript will be charging a fee for “processing and monitoring applicants.”

There is no obvious reason why Google is lifting the ban only for only U.S. states and territories since CBD and other hemp-based cannabinoids are fully legal throughout the U.S. under the 2018 Farm Bill, the report said.

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