For the last month, YouTube has been shutting down a wide range of cannabis channels, often with little or no warning.

All of the videos now display the same ominous message: “The channel’s content had been flagged for review and was found to violate YouTube’s guidelines.”

Two years ago, Facebook famously shut down many cannabis-related accounts, but YouTube has always been much friendlier and more tolerant of cannabis material.

Now, it seems, YouTube is taking a similar approach to cannabis-with a liberal interpretation of what might constitute the “Promotion” of cannabis.

YouTube’s new direction signifies a 180-degree turn at a time when cannabis is gaining wider social acceptance. The plant remains federally illegal, but only a small handful of states outlaw it in all forms.

Some cannabis content creators are now moving their material to Instagram and other social networking sites.

Messages left with YouTube’s media contacts were not immediately returned.

Read the original article at Leafly