Pubdate: Thu, 04 Feb 2016
Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser (HI)
Copyright: 2016 Associated Press
Contact: 
http://www.staradvertiser.com/info/Star-Advertiser_Letter_to_the_Editor.html
Website: http://www.staradvertiser.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5154
Author: Ben Finley, Associated Press

FACEBOOK BLOCKS POT DISPENSARIES' BUSINESS PAGES

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - 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 in other parts of the country. At one point last year, Facebook 
took down the page for the Harborside Health Center, a dispensary in 
Oakland, Calif., although the page is now up and running.

"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."

But a spokeswoman for Facebook, Arielle Aryah, said in an email 
Wednesday to the Associated Press that the pages were "removed for 
violating our Community Standards."

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 in northern New Jersey, 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, 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.

Facebook, based in Menlo Park, Calif., has also served as an online 
forum for quality control when it comes to various brands, which 
carry names like 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, 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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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom