Messaging Policy forbids sending messages about anything that is illegal in the jurisdiction where the message recipient lives. This policy affects messaging related to cannabis (marijuana) and cannabidiol (CBD) in the United States, as well as many other countries.

SMS and MMS
  • The United States

SMS or MMS messages related to cannabis are not allowed in the United States. As federal laws prohibit its sale, even though some states have legalized it.  Similarly, messages related to CBD products are not permissible in the United States, as certain states prohibit its sale. The Messaging Policy is reflective of the US carrier rules in this area, and there are no exceptions to this policy.

Our upstream telephony provider defines a cannabis-related message as any message which relates to the marketing or sale of a cannabis product, regardless of whether or not those messages explicitly contain cannabis terms, images, or links to cannabis websites.

  • Canada

Cannabis is not an illicit substance in Canada, nor is CBD. Messaging that deals with age-restricted content (such as cannabis, but also including alcohol, gambling, etc.) is generally allowed in Canada, but may be subject to scrutiny by Canada telecom authorities. If you intend to send cannabis-related traffic in Canada, it is crucial that you have proper age gating in place for your messages, to avoid compliance risks. Please note: Cannabis and CBD-related traffic is prohibited on Toll-Free Numbers.

  • Other countries

Cannabis and/or CBD products are illegal in many countries around the world. Per our upstream telephony provider’s Messaging Policy, sending messages about cannabis in these countries is a violation of their policy. In countries where cannabis is fully legal, message traffic is permissible unless forbidden by local carrier rules. If the our upstream telephony provider is aware of relevant restrictions, these will be published on the SMS Guidelines page for the country in question. If you are unsure whether your use case is legal or compliant in a given country, we recommend you seek qualified legal counsel.

  • WhatsApp

Cannabis-related messaging is not allowed over WhatsApp, as WhatsApp’s rules prohibit drug-related use cases.