Today the internet, especially social media, serves as a tool for businesses to communicate with customers and future customers.
Both Instagram and Facebook have shut down some marijuana dispensaries in Massachusetts and they aren’t happy.
Francy Wade, a spokeswoman for Cultivate, told Boston.com that Instagram shut their page down without notice last Tuesday on Nov. 20. This was the first day they opened for recreational sales.
“They’ve taken away our communication,” said Robert Lally, the company’s chief operating officer.
According to the Worcester Business Journal, at least six Massachusetts marijuana dispensaries have had their accounts disabled for violating the social media platform’s terms of use. This includes Cultivate and New England Access Treatment in Northampton, which were the first dispensaries approved for licenses to sell marijuana for recreational use.
The community guidelines for Instagram prohibit users from offering “illegal or prescription drugs (even if it’s legal in your region).”
Instagram spokeswoman Stephanie Noon said to Boston.com, “Our policy prohibits any marijuana seller, including dispensaries, from promoting their business by providing contact information like phone numbers or street addresses. Because of the borderless nature of our respective communities, we try to enforce our policies as consistently as possible.”
