What a buzzkill!
Instagram suspended the account of a pro-weed army veterans group, organizers stated on Sunday.
“On November 21, 2024, our organization’s official Instagram account, @disabledveteransincannabis], was suddenly and unexpectedly suspended without any prior notice or explanation,” Osbert Orduna, co-founder of Service Disabled Veterans in Hashish, instructed The Submit.
“We have diligently adhered to Instagram’s terms of service and community guidelines, and we believe this suspension to be unjustified.”
He suspected the Meta-owned Instagram yanked the account as a result of the phrase “cannabis” is within the group’s identify and its digital emblem features a marijuana leaf. However the firm didn’t inform the group why its account was suspended.
Instagram suggested the suspended group that it has 180 days to attraction the suspension.
“We’ll take another look at your account. If we find your account does follow our community standards, you’ll be able to use Instagram again,” the social media agency instructed the disabled vets’ group.
“If we find your account doesn’t follow our community standards, it will be permanently disabled and you won’t be able to appeal again.”
The vets group is working freely on X, and Orduna praised that platform’s proprietor Elon Musk for “doing the right thing” and taking a “rational position on cannabis.”
Orduna accused Instagram of performing as “judge, jury and executioner” by exhibiting hostility to the rising legalized hashish trade and to army veterans particularly.
“By comparison, Elon Musk and X are taking a responsible and rational position on cannabis,” he stated.
On its X account, the pro-legal pot service disabled vets’ group stated, “The place are the category motion legal professionals? Who else is uninterested in @Meta @instagram censorship of the phrase ‘CANNABIS’
“We are an advocacy group for Disabled Veterans, that’s it but maybe that’s too radical?,” the put up went on.
It appealed to President-elect Donald Trump’s deliberate new Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, which is to be headed by Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
“Maybe @DOGE @realDonaldTrump can stop the censorship,” the put up concluded.
A spokesperson for Meta declined to remark.
