Medicinal and/or recreational marijuana is becoming legalized in some states, and by the entire country of Canada – Alongside the legalization of marijuana, CBD oil and products containing CBD oil are becoming more and more popular – and recently some direct sales and/or network marketing companies have started appearing – and with business opportunity comes the desire for marketing – and we all know how amazing Facebook Ads are, right?
WRONG!
CBD, hemp, and anything at all derived from the marijuana plant (hallucinogenic or not) falls into the category of products banned from advertising on the Facebook platform.
No ifs ands or buts.
So, here is the thing. You probably know that I used to work at Facebook, right? This means I have been in hundreds (if not thousands) of Ad Accounts – and even into top secret tools that aren't available to the general public. I have seen first-hand, CBD businesses who try to circumvent Facebooks rules and run their Ads despite the rules – and I have watched Ad Accounts flagged and disabled… then they set up new Ad Accounts that are flagged and disabled… and pretty soon their Business Pages AND Personal Profiles are disabled from running Ads.
This is one area where Facebook does NOT mess around. They do not want CBD on their platform and they will take extreme measures to prevent you from marketing it.
I remember (working at Facebook) having an agency owner call me to ask for advice – they had been approached by a potential client who ran a CBD-related business who was willing to spend (and pay them) big bucks. They wanted to know what they could do – what the best strategy is… and if you're a fellow agency owner listen up:
Run. Away.
Learn to say no.
Choosing to “go there” can have devastating effects on your business and your other clients. It is simply not worth the risk.
It's for that reason that I will ONLY serve businesses offering CBD/Hemp/Marijuana related products with my courses or mentorship services – not Ad Management.
Ever.
I know that I can provide them the guidance that they need to effectively build their lists and nurture those lists into paying customers… but I can not tie my profile/business to their business on the “back end.” It's not that I don't like the product, but this isn't about belief in a product – it's about understanding the platform and how to leverage it most effectively.