TRENTON — Three of New Jersey’s five medical marijuana dispensaries have had their business pages shut down by Facebook, cutting off what advocates call an integral place for customers to learn about which plant strains best treat their illness and where to find discounts.
Compassionate Sciences in
Bellmawr, Garden State in Woodbridge, and Breakwater Treatment and
Wellness in Cranbury had their pages shut down this week.
Facebook’s advertising policy
bans promotion of selling drugs — as well as tobacco and guns — and the
medical-marijuana pages weren’t spared even though they have been
legally allowed to operate in New Jersey since 2011. The shutdowns
reflect similar measures taken by the social media giant around the
country. Facebook officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for
comment.
“It’s doing a real disservice to
the patients of New Jersey,” said Peter Rosenfeld, a board member of the
Coalition for Medical Marijuana — New Jersey. “They’re treating it like
they’re selling marijuana illegally when it’s a fully sanctioned
nonprofit that’s controlled and regulated by the state of New Jersey.”
More than 5,500 patients have registered for medical marijuana in New Jersey and more than 300 doctors have participated.
Amy Marie Keller, 40, of Roselle
Park, said she checked the Garden State dispensary’s Facebook page
daily. She suffers from Variegate Porphyria, a disorder that limits the
amount of oxygen in her blood and can cause seizures and painful
intestinal issues.
The best brands that work for her
— Blackwater, Sour Diesel and Nigerian Haze — are often in limited
supply. Knowing when they’re available is important, she said.
“Now I have no idea,” she said.
“I tried calling, but they didn’t pick up. Probably everybody is
calling. I would hate to tie up their phone lines and bother them every
morning about that.”
Mike Nelson, the general manager
for Compassionate Sciences dispensary, said Facebook has been the
business’s primary communication tool. The dispensary announced on
Facebook rather than its website that it has a new or cheaper strain of
marijuana that is high in properties that help treat the symptoms of
multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/facebook-shuts-down-three-n-j-medical-marijuana-pages/article_eec6c5ec-cad6-11e5-b4dd-078853daa6ff.html
Facebook has also served as an
online forum for quality control when it comes to various brands, which
carry names such as Charlotte’s Web and Golden Goat. Advocates say the
pages facilitate discussion among customers and purveyors about the
benefits and drawbacks of certain strains.
“There’s nothing out there that
says the Golden Goat in California is the same one as the Golden Goat in
New Jersey,” Nelson said. “It makes it more localized, which is
important because there are no control factors.”
Aaron Epstein, the general
manager and general counsel for Garden State, said he’ll find another
way to serve patients if Facebook continues its policy.
“If Facebook doesn’t want to be a
part of that, that’s their prerogative,” he said. “We’ll find other
avenues to get information to our patients.”
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