Facebook stops blocking pro-pot ads

After blocking advertisements promoting legalized marijuana efforts in Washington and elsewhere, Facebook has changed its policy and is now allowing the ads.

The social media giant had blocked the ads because they included a marijuana leaf. But the company now admits it was wrong to pull them, according to the Huffington Post.

Facebook had rejected the ads when they were submitted for review earlier this year, just as it did two years ago. The site prohibits ads promoting illegal activities including the sale of drugs like marijuana.

More than 15,000 supporters signed an online petition calling for Facebook to bring back the latest batch of ads from Just Say Now, a marijuana advocacy group.

The effort caught the attention of the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation.

In a blog post on the ACLU’s website Monday morning, staff attorney Linda Lye praised Facebook’s reversal as a “victory for free speech on the Internet.” She warned that Facebook’s ambition to become the “virtual town square” will be stymied if its advertising policies have built-in censorship.

Lye said after several discussions Facebook representatives were “quick to admit” they had either misinterpreted or failed to follow Facebook advertising guidelines.

“Their position was very clear — and we certainly applaud it — which is that Facebook is a neutral platform,” Lye said. “It does not weigh in on political advocacy, and it was a mistake to reject the ads.”

Just Say Now, an online campaign started by progressive blog Firedoglake.com, was launched in 2010 to push for ballot initiatives in a number of states. It is supporting legalization efforts in Washington and other states in the 2012 election.