You cannot sell illegal drugs, controlled substances, or paraphernalia on Shopify, and some legal products that could be misused may also be restricted or banned at Shopify's discretion.
This analysis describes what Shopify's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This clause establishes a categorical restriction on a class of products and transactions, functioning as a gating mechanism for service eligibility. The provision grants Shopify discretionary authority to extend restrictions beyond illegal substances to legal products deemed to have misuse potential.
This provision means consumers cannot buy controlled substances through Shopify stores, but the broad 'potential for misuse' language also enables Shopify to restrict legal products, potentially limiting consumer access to lawfully sold items at any time.
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You agree not to post, upload, publish, submit or transmit any content that: (i) infringes, misappropriates or violates a third party's patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, moral rights or other intellectual property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy; (ii) violates, or encourages any ...
You must not use Mailchimp to send to role-based email addresses (such as info@, sales@, or support@), to send to addresses harvested from websites or other online sources without permission, or to email addresses obtained through dictionary attacks or automated address generation.
You must not, and must not allow others to: Create content, products, or services using any part of the End User Services
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"Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia: You may not use Shopify's Services to sell, purchase, or facilitate the sale of controlled substances, illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia. Certain legal products with potential for misuse (such as certain chemicals) may also be restricted.— Excerpt from Shopify's Shopify Acceptable Use Policy
(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. § 812), DEA scheduling regulations (21 C.F.R. Part 1308), the Federal Analogue Act (21 U.S.C. § 813), and FDA regulations governing dietary supplements (21 C.F.R. Part 111) and new dietary ingredients. For hemp-derived CBD, the 2018 Farm Bill (7 U.S.C. § 1639o) permits commercial sale subject to FDA oversight. Enforcement authority is shared between DEA, FDA, and state attorneys general. (2)
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This clause establishes a categorical restriction on a class of products and transactions, functioning as a gating mechanism for service eligibility. The provision grants Shopify discretionary authority to extend restrictions beyond illegal substances to legal products deemed to have misuse potential.
This provision means consumers cannot buy controlled substances through Shopify stores, but the broad 'potential for misuse' language also enables Shopify to restrict legal products, potentially limiting consumer access to lawfully sold items at any time.
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