Reddit Bans Many Cannabis Vaporization Communities
Reddit shutters some vaporizer communities in possible IPO-related purge.
Reddit used to be a great source of information regarding vaporizers of all stripes. It hosted a number of vibrant communities dedicated to dry herb vaporization and vaping. As of yesterday, many of these communities (called ‘subreddits’) have been shut down and the rest flagged as adult content. Many users believe it is related to an impending IPO as Reddit attempts to reckon with the implications of the PACT act.
The PACT (Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking) Act was enacted in 2010 to regulate the mailing of tobacco products. In December of 2020, the PACT Act was amended to include e-cigarettes: “(1) any electronic device that, through an aerosolized solution, delivers nicotine, flavor, or any other substance to the user inhaling from the device; and (2) any component, liquid, part, or accessory of an ENDS, regardless of whether sold separately from the device. The ban on mailing of vaping products created by the PACT Act amendment went into effect almost exactly one year ago (April 27, 2021).
The USPS, when announcing the impending changes, received over 15,000 public comments.
But Jamie, you might say, this is all about vaping concentrates and not dry herbs! Why would dry herb vaporizer subreddits be hit?
Good question.
The fact of the matter is, the subreddits that were banned were banned for linking to sales, and “sourcing, sale promotion, or sale facilitation.” The remaining forums that are left will need to face what their future content will be. They were banned because Reddit thought they might look bad. Even the innocuously named “induction heaters” was banned.
It’s moments like this that remind me how important it is to not lose sight of federal legalization and cannabis destigmatization. Reddit is doing this because they don’t want the content to be seen as unappealing during their IPO process, and it’s distressing to know that the dry herb vaporization of cannabis is more of a threat to that deal.
The mail received by the moderators specifically said “Please note that this includes not only substances (juice, etc) but vaping devices and accessories themselves.”
Reddit’s action is a reminder for those of us that create and communicate in the cannabis and hemp space to have a platform for our work that is under our control and moderation as much as possible (mine is Oregon Cannabis Gazette!).
This is a also a reminder that social media platforms, including Medium, are ultimately at the discretion of their owners and not the creators. It will be interesting to watch what happens in the coming weeks, or if this sort of action is isolated to Reddit.
Sources
https://www.atf.gov/alcohol-tobacco/prevent-all-cigarette-trafficking-pact-act