Google Snuffs Out Marijuana Sale and Delivery Apps

By
HeadQuest

Google has announced it will no longer allow apps that promote the sale of marijuana in its Google Play store. The search engine giant updated its policy on marijuana to include the following language:

“We don’t allow apps that facilitate the sale of marijuana or marijuana products, regardless of legality.”

Here are some examples of common violations:

  • Allowing users to order marijuana through an in-app shopping cart feature.
  • Assisting users in arranging delivery or pick up of marijuana.
  • Facilitating the sale of products containing THC [tetrahydrocannabinol].

Google’s move isn’t a first of it’s kind rule — they also do not allow tobacco related ads. Another new section of the policies stipulates that apps “that facilitate the sale of tobacco (including e-cigarettes)” are prohibited. Apps that help consumers purchase alcohol are apparently allowed, but not those that “encourage the irresponsible use of alcohol or tobacco.”

Before you go marching on Google headquarters, it’s important to note that they’re not banning all cannabis apps — only the sale and delivery scheduling functionality —- and there is a workaround. According to a Google spokesperson who spoke with Marijuana Moment, “These apps simply need to move the shopping cart flow outside of the app itself to be compliant with this new policy.”

Android users will be able to download marijuana delivery apps through other sites but these new rules could hinder some cannabis businesses, particularly those located in states where marijuana is legal.

Speculation is that Google’s new policy is in response to an FTC complaint filed in December, that Google was not verifying apps and games featured in the Family section of Google Play for compliance with U.S. children’s privacy law COPPA.

“After taking input from users and developers, we are evolving our Google Play policies to provide additional protections for children and families,” the company said in a blog post. “These policy changes build on our existing efforts to ensure that apps for children have appropriate content, show suitable ads and handle personally identifiable information correctly; they also reduce the chance that apps not intended for children could unintentionally attract them.”

Recent Stories

Recent Articles

CBD 3
By
Jimmy Wohl
Lung, Tongue, and Skin
I went home and told my girlfriend, who, after Googling the name of the business I bought it from, told me that, yes, it was technically weed. But it was CBD. She started laughing, telling me I had been ripped off.
banking 2
By
Joe Reefer
High Risk, High Cash: The Banking Struggles of Legal Cannabis
State-sanctioned medical and recreational cannabis programs benefit the average user in many ways. Still, they remain a double-edged sword for dispensary owners, greenhouse growers, and others who earn their living from the cannabis industry. There are plenty of profits to be had, sure, but how exactly are you expected to secure your cash or process electronic transactions when banks refuse to work with you?
WIC 2
By
Emily Long
Women in Cannabis – Aubrey Amatelli
Aubrey Amatelli wants to help dispensaries and cannabis retailers navigate one of the toughest parts of the industry: money. When the company she worked for right out of grad school was acquired by JPMorgan, Aubrey entered the complex world of payments and has stayed there for her entire career.
MJ 1
By
Matt Weeks
Building the Best: How the MJBizCon Gets Made
There’s a paradox to business conferences. The best ones manage to swing from buttoned down to wildly unscripted—sometimes seconds apart. For attendees, it’s the combination of personal connections and professional development that makes regular trips to conferences worthwhile. And in an industry like this one, pulling that off is harder than it looks.
staffing 1
By
Karen Maina
Staff Your Shop And Build Your Tribe
Your shop is not only a smoke shop; It's also a hangout spot and a community hub. It is a place where the regulars know your staff by name, and your staff knows what the regulars need. That's the secret sauce that the big-box chains can't replicate, and it starts with who you put behind the counter. A well-staffed smoke shop is an operational strategy, but it's also a community. In lean economic times, that community is what keeps the lights on. When people feel like your shop is their spot, they don't stop coming in when money's tight. They prioritize it. It all starts with Hiring.
2026-06-01_20-59-01
By
Emily Long
Women in Cannabis – Dr. Chanda Macias
Dr. Macias first fell in love with science while studying at Howard University, where she completed her undergraduate studies and later earned her PhD in cellular and molecular biology. While at Howard, she became especially interested in cancer research due to personal ties. Growing up in a Creole family and predominantly Black community in Louisiana, Dr. Macias watched many women around her battle breast cancer, so at Howard, she decided to focus her research on the BRCA1 gene.
2026-06-01_20-45-52
By
Matt Weeks
Cards Denied: Smoke Shops, Dispensaries, and the Paradox of Modern Banking
It’s almost amazing that the same institutions that brought us the 2008 financial crisis have a problem with selling glass pipes. Almost. The truth is that an industry's past sins are only held against it when the money isn’t right. Big banks were willing to risk cratering the U.S. housing market because the profits were too good to ignore. But the cannabis industry rolls a different kind of paper, so instead of a slap on the wrist, it gets a surcharge.
2026-06-01_20-34-44
By
Karen Maina
Print Lives! Why Flyers and Posters Still Work
Smokeshop and counterculture enthusiasts enjoy discovery as part of the experience. Customers enjoy browsing. When they walk into a shop, they don't simply grab a product and leave. They look for something new. This is the main reason flyers and posters still work. Smokeshops and dispensaries are highly visual environments. You want to see bold artwork, psychedelic graphics, and street-style posters that naturally capture attention.