YouTube is demonetizing videos related to the management sim Weedcraft Inc. It is citing its Drugs policy, but that shouldn’t apply.
YouTube is demonetizing videos that focus on the recently released management simulator Weedcraft Inc. It has you building a business where you grow, breed, and sell marijuana. Developer Vile Monarch and publisher Devolver Digital released it today on Steam for $20.
But Weedcraft is running into an issue on YouTube. Content creators and influencers are seeing Google classify Weedcraft-related videos as not suitable for advertisers. This is also known as “demonetization,” and it means these videos won’t generate ad revenue. When YouTube does this, it disincentivizes creators from covering certain topics or products. And that is likely going to happen to Weedcraft, which could hurt its sales.
I reached out to YouTube to ask about demonetizing Weedcraft videos. A spokesperson explained that this falls under its “drugs and dangerous products or substances” policy. That rule states that videos aren’t advertiser friendly if they feature the sale, use, or abuse of illegal drugs. YouTube’s spokesperson confirmed that YouTube will remove ads from any video it finds that violates that policy.
On Twitter, Devolver’s public-relations representative Stephanie Tinsley emphasized that Weedcraft is about the legal marijuana business.
Recreational marijuana is legal in many U. S. states. Medical pot is legal in even more. But under federal law it is still an illegal narcotic. Marijuana’s legal status varies around the world, though.
