While the U.S. customs authorities may be unsure about how to respond once recreational marijuana becomes legal in Canada, social media giant Facebook has taken the step to stop preventing search results from showing in case a user is looking for cannabis pages, articles and organizations, among other kinds of related content.

Facebook has been filtering out any search results connected to cannabis for more than a year. This action was in line with the platform’s rules that barred illegal products and substances from being traded or trafficked using the platform.

That is now bound to change as Facebook users from around the globe will now be able to access marijuana-related content using the search feature of the platform.

However, there will be a condition to accessing cannabis information. Only verified pages, personalities and organizations will be listed in the search results.

Facebook currently has two signs of verification, a blue and grey verification mark. The blue mark is reserved for brands, media companies and public figures. Other verified cannabis accounts or pages will have the grey verification mark.

The verification process starts with the marijuana business giving Facebook a phone number which is listed publicly. The social media platform then makes an automated call to that number and the receiver is expected to enter a 4-digit code once he or she is prompted to do so during the phone call.

Previously, government marijuana dispensaries, advocacy agencies and other organizations could not be found on Facebook due to the restrictions designed into the search algorithm of the social media platform.

The changes in the laws of different countries and states has motivated the change of heart at Facebook in order to enable Facebook users to access marijuana content without any undue limitations.

It is worth remembering at this point that marijuana video content could be accessed even when the restrictions on cannabis were in force. The algorithm changes being rolled out will have no effect on access to such video content.

The move by Facebook has been welcomed by cannabis advocacy groups, such as Marijuana Policy Project, who said that it was long overdue for the social media platform to change how it regards marijuana.

Many polls show that the public wants marijuana to be decriminalized, and many jurisdictions have passed laws permitting marijuana use for either medical or recreational purposes. Facebook and other platforms should therefore start looking at marijuana favorably since it is now legal in many countries or jurisdictions. Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTC: NUGS) and Canopy Rivers Inc. (TSX.V: RIV) must be pleased by the change made by Facebook.

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The office of the San Bernardino County Sheriff recently announced that they had seized more than 10,000 cannabis plants that were growing in the San Bernardino National Forest. The plants were in three large plots that appear to have been cultivated by members of a drug trafficking gang.

There was evidence that people were living around the cannabis plots in order to tend to those plants. Camping gear and trash was found where the plants were found by a combined force from the U.S. Forestry Service, the County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. These law enforcement agencies were collaborating under a program called CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting).

The marijuana plants were in plots located in Marble Canyon, East Fork Canyon and Arctic Canyon.

Police said that the drug traffickers cleared the forest in order to plant the marijuana. Such actions cause irreparable damage to the forest cover. The toxic pesticides and the fertilizers which are used in such activities also seep into the ground and pollute the water as well as the wildlife there.

The press release didn’t reveal who the suspects in this seizure were, but the public was urged to report any other marijuana plots they see as they hike through the forest or any other secluded areas. Callers could provide tips anonymously or reveal their identities if they so wished. Different contact numbers were also provided in the press release for those willing to provide information regarding the illegal growing of cannabis in the forest or anywhere else.

The investigators asked hikers to be cautious since there is a risk of being harmed by criminal organizations that participate in such illegal growing of cannabis. It was therefore better to stick to the marked hiking trails or to take precautions, such as moving in groups, when branching off the marked trails during a hike.

People who grow marijuana illegally see the National Forest as an attractive location since it has several of the ideal conditions they desire. The first requirement is seclusion so that the illegal activity can remain undetected for long. Secondly, the forests have naturally fertile soils and springs which can make it easier to grow the cannabis.

Those conditions will keep attracting more drug trafficking organizations to the forest, so the latest seizures are unlikely to be the last. Perhaps the authorities need to find ways to make legitimate cannabis businesses like Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTC: NUGS) and Canopy Rivers Inc. (TSX.V: RIV) offer their products at such a low price that the risk of growing cannabis illegally will no longer be worth the possible gains from such an illegal activity.

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About CannabisNewsWire

CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

CannabisNewsWire (CNW)
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www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.net