Facebook has shut down pages set up by several businesses licensed to legally sell marijuana in Alaska, severing what some shop owners consider a critical link to their customers.
The social media giant says its standards describe what users can post, and content promoting marijuana sales isn’t allowed.
Industry officials say the issue has arisen over the last few years in states that have legalized recreational or medical pot. It comes as social media sites grapple with setting boundaries for what users can post.
It wasn’t clear why the crackdown in Alaska happened recently. The first shops authorized to sell marijuana in the state opened last fall.
Pot is legal for recreational use in eight states, including Alaska, but is still banned by the federal government.