This article was originally published on the Marijuana Patients Organization site on June 7, 2015.
Have you recently searched the internet for a doctor that prescribes cannabis or a dispensary that provides the medicine? Chances are, if you used Google, you will not find as much information as you did just a few months ago. Despite medical marijuana being legal and available for more than half of all Americans, the internet search giant reversed its policies that allowed doctors and providers to advertise their legal services. Google, through their mission statement, attempts to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful, except for medical cannabis.
[blockquote type=”left”]”Don’t be evil” is the formal corporate motto (or slogan) of Google[/blockquote]
We were alerted by several of our business supporters at http://pro.marijuanapatients.org that their advertisements through AdWords, Google’s advertiser portal, were shut down. Google claims that marijuana is a dangerous substance and cannot be promoted, however the company does not point to medical marijuana specifically in their advertising terms, rather K2, spice and recreational pot. https://support.google.com/adwordspolicy/answer/6014299?hl=en
Google’s AdWords program, which brings in over $40 billion per year in revenue had supported the use of the medicine by allowing medical cannabis advertisers on to their platform since the company’s founding. Google has acknowledged the science behind cannabis in the past, in 2013 the company gifted an annual $200,000 AdWords grant to Michigan Compassion, a non-profit that educates patients about marijuana. The continuance of Michigan Compassion’s educational grant is unknown.
[blockquote cite=”Moshe – AdWords Support Specialist” type=”left”]Medicinal marijuana (this is the scientific terminology) is not allowed in any form. In the past, clinics offering medical marijuana therapy were allowed to be promoted on AdWords. Not anymore.[/blockquote]
Google is caving to the demands of opponents, prohibitionists of this proven and effective medicine. By forcing patients to find solutions offline, Google has compromised the safety of those people in society we should protect the most, the sick. Would you expect more crime associated with a business advertising their services through Google or through street-level dealers that use disposable telephones, Google would prefer the latter.
Search for “marijuana” through the Google search engine and what you get now may shock you. Your results are flooded with paid advertisements from drug treatment abuse counselors, law enforcement Anti-Drug messaging and chemical based pharmaceutical medicine providers like Pfizer and Merck, ie. the status quo that wants marijuana to remain illegal.
Google — On behalf of 70,000 MPO members, “don’t be evil”.
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