Google Updates Policy to Allow CBD Advertising in Select Markets

Google has updated its policies on "dangerous products and services, as well as healthcare and drugs," allowing advertisements for marijuana and topical CBD products to be promoted in California, Colorado, and Puerto Rico in the United States.

Google did not provide a clear explanation for why it is limiting ads in these three distinct markets.

The company stated that CBD advertisements for entertainment products are still subject to limitations, including "supplements, food additives and inhalants." Additionally, according to policy revisions, header ads on YouTube (owned by Google) appear at the top of the main homepage on all devices and do not apply to marijuana and CBD products.

Google also stated that drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can now be advertised in these jurisdictions. This rule change will only benefit one manufacturer, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, whose high-CBD Epidiolex is the only product of its kind that the agency has approved to date. Epidiolex is used to treat severe seizures in children and was approved by the FDA in 2020.

These changes were announced at the end of the year and will take effect on January 20th. Advertisers can start applying for Google certification from that date and the application form will be released.

Google has announced that it has signed a contract with LegitScript, an internet and payment compliance company based in Portland, Oregon. LegitScript provides certification in high-risk industries and serves as a credential exchange for determining product advertising eligibility. Only products certified by LegitScript are permitted to be promoted on the Google platform.

According to Google, individuals seeking to advertise on the platform must provide their product samples or THC tests, and provide third-party analysis certificates to LegitScript for verification.

In an industry where contaminated, substandard, or illegal products are still prevalent, it is more important than ever to assure consumers that the CBD products they are purchasing have undergone proper scrutiny," said Scott Ross, CEO of LegitScript.

This internet giant appears to be unnerved by the prospect of continuing to use CBD products internally. Such products have received warnings from the FDA, as various studies have shown contamination by solvents and heavy metals among other impurities. Delta-8 THC derived from cannabis produced via synthetic processes has been implicated in the death of a child in Virginia last year.