In August 2018, Marijuana Moment highlighted a growing problem on Facebook: medical cannabis shadow banning.
“Shadow banning” refers to an in-app restriction that limits post and/or page impressions. In an earlier tweet discussing political posts, Facebook noted that shadow banning can limit views by up to 80%.
Translation? Even if you’re following CannaMD or another cannabis news source, you likely aren’t seeing the content being published each day.
Fortunately, there’s a little known work-around.
How to adjust your Facebook settings
Go to the main CannaMD Facebook page and hover over “Following”.
Scroll down to “In Your News Feed” and select “See First”.
CannaMD posts (regardless of content containing keywords such as “cannabis” and “marijuana”) should now display in your newsfeed.
Why shadow banning matters
In 2017, Twitter – which has over 330 million active monthly users – briefly blocked all searches for “marijuana”. Facebook shadow banning is currently affecting countless medical pages and official government agencies, including the California Bureau of Cannabis Control.
Limiting access to medical research places patients at a distinct disadvantage, restricting the free flow of conversations, questions, and feedback that typically characterizes social media forums.
To voice your support for the medical cannabis community, be sure to share the tips in today’s post with family, friends, and colleagues.