Ask a Stoner: How Will Cannabis Exist in the Metaverse?

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Dear Stoner: Is weed going to exist in the metaverse, or will Facebook ban it?
Hacker

Dear Hacker: I should point out that the metaverse is decentralized. Yet the internet is decentralized, too, and that hasn’t stopped tech giants like Facebook, Google and Apple from owning the space, nor has it stopped governments from censoring users. Add to that the struggles of cannabis-centric accounts dealing with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or the App Store, and there’s reason to be skeptical. There are also reasons for optimism.

Getty Images/Nastasic

The metaverse is a blank slate compared to the internet, and cannabis is more accepted throughout the world than it was during the web’s inception. Sure, Facebook’s made a big play in the metaverse, but we’re also seeing cannabis brands put themselves out there thanks to looser advertising rules. Virtual cannabis events and CBD stores are popping up, too, allowing us to shop in an online market and have the real stuff delivered. An Australian cannabis company even purchased digital real estate next to Snoop Dogg’s metaverse mansion to showcase a cultivation facility and products.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’d still rather buy real weed with real money at a real store.

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