Social media shadow banning: a guide for cannabis and mushroom enthusiasts

Shadow banning can be incredibly annoying, whether it happens to you or an account you follow and value. Regarding the realm of social media relating to cannabis and psilocybin-containing magic mushrooms, shadow banning is an all-too-common practice even when the accounts in question are doing nothing illegal!

Here we’re looking at why these accounts are targeted and what you can do to try to prevent it.

What is shadow banning?

Shadow banning is the name given to a technique social media companies use to suppress particular accounts and their content without actually banning the account or, importantly, notifying the affected user. Essentially, posts from certain users, or that contain particular keywords, hashtags, or content, are not shared to other users or promoted in any other ways.

It both restricts how visible an account's content is but also makes the account itself harder to find, with it sometimes not showing up in searches even when people type in the exact account name.

These measures have knock-on effects that further reduce the exposure of the account in question. Likes, shares, and comments all dwindle, making it very difficult for someone to grow further or connect with their target audience.

Shadow banning can also affect accounts indirectly. For instance, when users engage less with content due to lower visibility, platforms interpret this as reduced interest and further suppress the account. This creates a cycle that’s difficult to break out of without drastic changes or a complete restart.

All the common platforms employ shadow banning of some sort, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X.

Why are cannabis and mushroom accounts targeted?

Accounts that specialise in the promotion or discussion of cannabis or magic mushrooms (and other drugs) often come to be suppressed with shadow banning. Even where these substances may be legal, social media companies often see this content as potentially violating guidelines, and so restrict its reach.

One reason for this is that these platforms have a global reach, and so it is easier for them to universally restrict accounts that might be illegal in many countries so that they don’t face country-specific legal challenges.

The process whereby accounts are shadow banned is automated and therefore can unfairly target accounts that produce legal and educational content.

What’s more, there are few meaningful ways to reach these companies and effectively complain and have the decision reversed. As such, many users will simply open new accounts and hope for the best.

Additionally, advertisers and corporate sponsors often pressure platforms to maintain a "safe" digital environment, which can result in stricter enforcement of content policies in areas deemed controversial. This makes it harder for cannabis and mushroom content creators to navigate the rules, especially when policies are unclear or inconsistently applied.

It’s also worth noting that platforms have little incentive to invest in the development of more sophisticated algorithms for these niches. With such a large volume of global content, cannabis and mushroom-related accounts represent a relatively small subset, making them a lower priority for platform optimisation.

The impact on content creators and businesses

Depending on how important social media is to a user, the effects of shadow banning can be significant, potentially throttling their main source of outreach. By reducing engagement and visibility, popular accounts and influencers can swiftly fade into obscurity, and successful social media-based businesses can crumble overnight.

For example, legal dispensaries in the US often report being unable to communicate with existing followers or reach new ones. And mushroom educators—hardly the most nefarious people roaming the web—struggle to share content about psilocybin research without being flagged as promoting illegal substances.

The psychological toll on creators should also not be underestimated. Many report feeling frustrated, isolated, and uncertain about how to proceed. For businesses reliant on social media, these issues translate to financial losses, and rebuilding a presence can take months or even years. Some have invested in paid advertising to bypass algorithms, only to find that cannabis or mushroom-related ads are often outright rejected.

Content creators often turn to their communities for support. Crowdsourcing ideas, asking followers to engage more actively, and even crowdfunding platforms like Patreon have become popular ways to offset the limitations imposed by shadow banning. However, these strategies require significant effort and often yield only incremental improvements.

As a consequence, many have been driven to other platforms, such as Weedmaps, Leafly, or niche forums, while others have rebranded their content to focus on general wellness or lifestyle topics to reduce the likelihood of being flagged.

How to avoid shadow banning on social media

Avoiding being shadow banned can be tricky, as it’s not always clear what actions lead to it. Plus, as you’re not notified when it happens, and have no real recourse against it, it can be hard to both predict and detect.

Still, there are some steps you can take:

• Avoid flagged hashtags and phrases: Avoid using #cannabis, #weed, or #magicmushrooms, instead using creative alternatives or brand-specific hashtags that won’t trigger the algorithm.
• Neutral language: Frame captions and descriptions in a way that avoids explicitly mentioning restricted terms.
• Create multiple accounts: You can also create secondary accounts and encourage your followers to follow these in case your primary account is shadow banned or shut down. This way, you can immediately switch to a new account from which you can interact with your follower base.
• Make use of alternative platforms: If all else fails, explore cannabis or mushroom-friendly social networks like Weedmaps, MassRoots, or Duby, join forums such as Reddit’s r/trees or r/mycology for mushroom enthusiasts, or build an email list or use platforms like Patreon to maintain direct communication with followers.
• Collaborate: Joining up with other creators in the same niche can help to boost visibility and build community. Cross-promotion and partnerships can create a support network, ensuring that even if one account faces restrictions, others can help maintain the conversation and engagement.

Shadow banning: The bane of many content creators

Shadow banning poses a significant challenge for cannabis and mushroom enthusiasts seeking to grow their social media presence. But if you can understand something about how shadow banning works and why particular accounts are targeted, you may be able to develop strategies to minimise its impact.

If all else fails, then utilise other platforms for more explicit content, and try to use social media to subtly advertise and direct users elsewhere.

Max Sargent

Max has been writing for over a decade, and has come into cannabis and psychedelic journalism in the last few years. Writing for companies such as Zamnesia, Royal Queen Seeds, Cannaconnection, Gorilla Seeds, MushMagic and more, he has experience in a broad spectrum of the industry.

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