Weedcraft Inc facing advertising hurdles due to subject matter

Weedcraft Inc deals with, as the name would suggest, the business of growing and selling marijuana in the United States, but the game’s very nature has led to some advertising difficulties on platforms like Facebook and YouTube. 

According to publisher Developer Digital, the company has not been able to advertise “via traditional marketing channels” and online platforms like Facebook and Instagram due to state-by-state drug laws and the policies on individual platforms.

The varying legality of marijuana in the United States makes this a somewhat unique case, but at the same time it serves a reminder to other devs of the unexpected issues that can arise when trying to launch or advertise a game that deals with potentially controversial material.

In the case of Weedcraft Inc, Devolver Digital’s Mike Wilson notes that the team “anticipated some friction but never at the level we’ve experienced.”

On top of losing access to Facebook and Instagram as advertising platforms, Devolver says that YouTube has taken to demonetizing videos that feature the game, dealing a blow to any marketing attempted through content creators on the video platform as well.