iOS 8 (Photo : Apple)
As marijuana legalization continues to push forward in the United States, its advocates are also appealing to the tech giant Apple to reconsider its stand about banning marijuana related apps on its Apple Store.
On Nov. 4, 2014, the day that more than a million people in three US states voted to legalize marijuana, Apple decided to pull out on its App Store one of the most popular media app that encourages the legalization of marijuana, according to The Cannabist.
MassRoots is a media app that aims in "connecting cannabis enthusiasts worldwide."
MassRoots CEO Isaac Dietrich said, "The App Store is one of the largest content distribution channels in the world, and we'd already been on there for 14 months."
After the take down on App Store, Dietrich called Apple to ask why the app was pulled out and an Apple representative told him that Apple has amended its policy towards apps that deals with the cannabis culture.
App Store's legal guideline 22.1 states that any apps posted on its marketplace must comply with all legal requirements before it can be distributed into a specific location. Its legal policies towards marijuana themed apps have not changed, Apple told The Denver Post.
Critics were quick to point Apple's reputation for being very subjective when it comes to choosing and accepting which companies it will allow on its App Store.
App Store's massive market share makes it a target for up-start companies wanting to make it big in the tech industry. However, the future of these companies hangs in the mercy of App Store executives who makes the decision on which apps will be allowed to be marketed.
MassRoots' has filed a petition to Apple for the company to reconsider putting back the app on its App Store. In just a span of two weeks, 10,000 signatures were gathered in support of the petition.
Various marijuana-related businesses and apps are also starting to knock on Apple's door asking the tech company to reconsider.
