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Suspension riskPI-2 · Prohibited Items Policy

Controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, and medical drugs are prohibited

What this rule means

Etsy does not allow drugs, drug paraphernalia, medical drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. Its page lists drugs and certain herbal substances as prohibited regardless of their legality. Paraphernalia includes items with a carburetor, slides, bongs, bubblers, and vaporizers and their components. Items that claim to treat a disease also draw review.

What Etsy says

Drugs and certain herbal substances, including substances used for recreational and medicinal purposes, regardless of their legality. Drug paraphernalia, including, for example: items with a carburetor; slides and/or items with a slide; bongs and bubblers; vaporizers and their components.
Read Etsy's full Prohibited Items Policy

Why Etsy has this rule

Drugs and the equipment used with them are tightly regulated, and the law differs from place to place. Etsy sells to buyers in many countries and cannot check each listing against every local rule. Its policy lists drugs and paraphernalia as items that are not permitted, and it gives a short list of examples to make the category clear.

The rule also covers medical drugs. These products carry health risks and are usually controlled by licensing rules. Keeping them off the marketplace protects buyers who cannot judge a product from a photograph.

Common mistakes

  • Listing a pipe with a carburetor as a 'tobacco pipe' or 'smoking accessory' and assuming that wording makes it allowed.
  • Selling bongs, bubblers, or vaporizers and their parts, with a note that they are for decoration.
  • Using coded phrases such as 'for tobacco use only' on shapes that are known paraphernalia.
  • Describing a hemp or herbal product as intoxicating, or as able to get the buyer high.
  • Making a medicinal claim for a product and assuming it is allowed because the ingredient is legal where you live.
  • Selling glass pieces and calling them 'art' when the shape and size are clearly paraphernalia.
  • Listing vaporizer cartridges, batteries, or other components separately and assuming components are exempt.

Examples

  • AllowedYou sell a ceramic ashtray or a candle holder with plain, factual wording.
  • AllowedYou sell a botanical print of a flower or herb.
  • AllowedYou sell dried culinary herbs with an ordinary description and no health or intoxicating claims.
  • AllowedYou sell a hand-blown glass vase with a clear description that does not suggest drug use.
  • Not allowedYou sell a bong or bubbler.
  • Not allowedYou sell a pipe with a carburetor.
  • Not allowedYou sell a vaporizer or a part made for one.
  • Not allowedYou sell an herbal product and say it produces an intoxicating effect.

How to stay compliant

  1. Delist any item that is a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, or makes intoxicating health claims.
  2. Remove any listing for vaporizers, bongs, bubblers, or pipes with carburetors regardless of stated purpose.
  3. Review listings for CBD, hemp, or herbal products. Etsy's page prohibits certain herbal substances regardless of their legality and covers medical claims. It does not name hemp or CBD, so ask Etsy Support if you are unsure.

Effort: low · 15-30 minutes

If your suspension email cites this rule

Read the email and note which listing it names. Look at the item itself first. Does it match any of the examples in Etsy's rule: a carburetor, slides, a bong or bubbler, or a vaporizer or one of its parts? Then read the title, tags, and description. Wording can raise the flag even when the item is harmless.

If the item is paraphernalia, remove it, and remove similar items too. If the item is ordinary but the wording suggests drug use or intoxicating effects, rewrite the listing in plain, factual language. Etsy's page prohibits certain herbal substances regardless of their legality, and it covers items that claim to treat a disease. When you reply, explain what you sell and what you changed. Etsy makes the final decision.

Suspended over this rule?

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Common questions

What does Etsy count as drug paraphernalia?

Etsy's policy names items with a carburetor, slides and items with a slide, bongs and bubblers, and vaporizers and their components. Because the policy gives examples, read the full page if your item is close to one of them.

Can I list a pipe if I call it a tobacco pipe?

Not if it matches Etsy's description of paraphernalia, such as a pipe with a carburetor. The label in the title does not change what the item is.

Is a product allowed if the ingredient is legal where I live?

Not necessarily. Etsy's page prohibits drugs and certain herbal substances regardless of their legality. It does not name hemp or CBD, so check Etsy's current page and ask Etsy Support about a specific product.

Does this rule cover medical drugs?

Yes. Etsy's policy lists medical drugs as not permitted. Pharmaceuticals should not be listed.

Can I sell decorative glass that looks like a pipe?

It is risky. Etsy looks at the item, and a piece shaped like paraphernalia can be removed even when you call it art. If you are unsure, do not list it.

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