Facebook Censors Marijuana Activism

The Just Say Now federal marijuana rescheduling pledge program is alleging that Facebook censors marijuana activism… again. Just Say Now is a program of Firedoglake (FDL) media group in partnership with Students for Sensible Drug Policy. On Tuesday, the Just Say Now Facebook page (over 1.3 million Likes) posted asking people to send Facebook a message requesting an end to marijuana advertising censorship.

Just Say Now is no stranger to Facebook censorship. In August 2010 they ran into similar advertising issues when they claimed that Facebook ran Just Say Now ads over 38 million times before deciding to censor the marijuana leaf logo. Firedoglake had this to say in 2010:

“Just Say Now, our campaign for marijuana legalization with Students for Sensible Drug Policy, ran ads promoting our campaign that showed our logo, which uses a marijuana leaf. Despite the ad running more than 38 million times, Facebook flip-flopped and started censoring our ads and our political speech.”

Now in August 2012, history is repeating itself. Just Say Now attempted to run an election-focused campaign “that featured President Obama, Mitt Romney and images of marijuana leafs alongside a message encouraging people to join the campaign. Facebook rejected the ads on the ridiculous grounds that the simple act of showing a marijuana leaf promotes drug use.”

Just Say Now is requesting that all marijuana supporters sign their petition protesting Facebook’s censorship of the marijuana reform movement’s voice:

“We, the undersigned, believe Facebook should not censor marijuana imagery in ads aimed at changing US drug policy. Marijuana reform is not a fringe issue, and banning the use of marijuana imagery in political speech is like denying a candidate the use of their face in a campaign. Facebook should amend its advertising policy so as to not censor those engaging in protected political speech like the Just Say Now campaign to end marijuana prohibition.”