Over the past decade cannabis use has exploded in popularity. This has led many to wonder what Twitch’s position regarding smoking on stream is and whether they will get in trouble or not if they smoke on stream. Having reviewed Twitch’s TOS, this is what I have found out.
Can You Smoke On Twitch?
You can smoke weed, cigarettes and vape on Twitch as long as you are of a legal age to partake in these activities and these activities are legal in the state or country that you reside in. Basically, if it is legal for you to partake in these activities where you live, it is legal for you to stream them.
As stated in Twitch’s terms of service: “You must respect all applicable local, national, and international laws while using our services. Any content or activity featuring, encouraging, offering, or soliciting illegal activity is prohibited.”
Twitch also states in their terms of service that: “Any activity that may endanger your life or lead to your physical harm is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: suicide threats, intentional physical trauma, illegal use of drugs, illegal or dangerous consumption of alcohol, and dangerous or distracted driving.”
The key phrase here is “illegal use of drugs”. If you are of a legal age, and marijuana, vaping or cigarettes are legal where you reside, then you are in the clear since you are not breaking the law.
However, if you are underage, or if marijuana is not legal where you reside, then you would be in violation of Twitch’s terms of service and you run the risk of having your account suspended or even banned. Not to mention any legal trouble that you may incur by breaking your local laws.
From my research it appears as though marijuana use is discouraged on Twitch, but not strictly prohibited on Twitch. Same goes for vaping and cigarette use.
Twitch just doesn’t want your whole stream to be all about smoking pot. But what if you do smoke a little too much on stream and get high…are you in trouble then?
Can You Be High While Streaming On Twitch?
Although being high on a Twitch stream is not explicitly prohibited, it may be considered an activity that can “endanger your life or lead to your physical harm” which would then make it illegal on Twitch. Ultimately this decision is up to Twitch.
As stated in Twitch’s terms of service: “Twitch reserves the right, without notice and in our sole discretion, to terminate your license to use the Twitch Services.”
What this means is that Twitch has the right to ban you “without notice” and using their “sole discretion”. So it is impossible to really say what Twitch would determine safe or reckless in regards to being high on Twitch.
In my opinion I would play it safe and try not to get high on stream. Like I already mentioned, Twitch discourages smoking on stream and so getting high could be pushing it too far.
When it comes to pushing the boundaries on Twitch I always ask myself if this one thing is worth possibly losing my entire Twitch account. And this goes for things like playing music and what I talk about on stream, not just getting high.
Most of the time the answer for me is no, but everyone is different. Now if you do choose to smoke on stream here are some tips to help you stay out of any trouble.
Tips For Smoking On Twitch
- Enable mature content for your channel.
- Don’t make smoking the main focus of your stream.
- Limit how much you smoke on stream.
Enable Mature Content For Your Channel
Did you know that Twitch allows you to label your content as “mature content”? When you label your content as “mature” this means that it is intended for users who are 18 and older.
Enabling this does not guarantee that minors will not sneak into your stream, but it definitely helps to deter them. And this helps to protect you from discussing things like marijuana with kids who are not allowed to even use it.
If you want to know how to enable mature content on Twitch then check out my video here:
Don’t Make Smoking The Main Focus Of Your Stream
Unless you have some kind of unique knowledge or insight regarding weed, cigarettes or vaping, I recommend not making these things the main focus of your stream.
It’s ok to talk about these things, but when you make these things the main focus of your stream you are really limiting yourself.
As a streamer you have to be versatile and be willing and able to move with trends. If you get known as the “pot streamer” you may be stuck with a small audience and you may find it difficult to branch out from there.
Not to mention the fact that it doesn’t sound like Twitch is too crazy about smoking on stream to begin with and so you are already starting out in some hot water. Those are just my thoughts, but as always the decision is ultimately yours.
Limit How Much You Smoke On Stream
Lastly, limit how much you smoke on stream. If you have a low tolerance it may not be a good idea to smoke a ton because then you might get high and do something on stream that you regret.
Like I said earlier, you always have to ask yourself as a streamer whether or not something is worth it.
Excessive smoking on stream may portray an image that you don’t want and it may be hard to change others’ perception of you if you ever do decide to rebrand your stream.
Every stream and every streamer is different so stay within the rules and do what you feel is best for you as a streamer.
Related Articles:
For even more streaming tips and how-to content check out my Youtube channel here. And if you want to check out my streams then stop by my Twitch channel here.
Sources
- https://www.twitch.tv/p/en/legal/community-guidelines/
- https://www.twitch.tv/p/en/legal/terms-of-service/
- https://www.polygon.com/2018/1/23/16925504/snoop-dogg-twitch-blunt-streaming-marijuana-legal
Eric streams 3 days a week on Twitch and uploads weekly to Youtube under the moniker, StreamersPlaybook. He loves gaming, PCs, and anything else related to tech. He’s the founder of the website StreamersPlaybook and loves helping people answer their streaming, gaming, and PC questions.
Can You Curse On Twitch? What To Know – Streamers Playbook
Friday 1st of October 2021
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