As cannabis and cannabis products make their way further into the mainstream, the expectation is that ads for those products will start to become more widespread.
Alcohol has enjoyed the benefit of mass advertising for decades, but advertising for newly legal activities, like sports gambling, has seen a sharp uptick since the laws governing them have changed.
The legality of cannabis products in some jurisdictions in the U.S. is now forcing Google (GOOGL) – Get Free Report, the world’s biggest advertising platform, to change its own rules.
Starting next year, the company will allow for the promotion of certain CBD and hemp products in California, Colorado, and Puerto Rico.
“On Jan. 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.,” the company announced.
In the U.S., only CBD products that have been certified by LegitScript, an internet and payment compliance company that lends legitimacy to certain companies that sell products that have a high risk of fraud, will allowed to be promoted on Google.
LegitScripts-approved products must then be certified by Google before they can begin advertising.
The new rules won’t apply to every Google advertising platform, including YouTube Masthead, but CBD will be removed…