While medical marijuana is now legal in the majority of American states, there are 17 (according to this map) in which it remains illegal.
A company called Acreage Holdings is looking to change that. The company, which has former Republican House Speaker John Boehner on its board of directors, recently submitted a commercial to CBS in hopes that it would be approved and aired during the Super Bowl. The ad was rejected.
According to Forbes, the company said the intent of the ad wasn’t to sell pot, per se, but “to create an advocacy campaign for constituents who are being lost in the dialogue.”
The ad features three different medical situations in which cannabis has been the only helpful drug. So basically, Acreage was hoping to use the commercial to bring the issue of medical marijuana to a huge audience (hence the Super Bowl), to show them that there are people in the United States who do rely on cannabis.
The video has, of course, leaked onto the internet, so now you can watch it, even though it won’t be running on any networks.
One interesting thing that the Forbes article brought up was the idea that this commercial might actually be misleading when it comes to how the actual legalization of pot will probably happen. The author, Mike Adams, proposes that pot will probably end up becoming straight-up legal for recreational purposes, and therefore easy for anyone to get.
People on Twitter were outraged what they saw as the hypocrisy of rejecting a commercial about medical marijuana while taking money from alcohol companies to promote beer.
CBS will turn down a medical marijuana commercial for the super bowl even when it’s about it saving children’s lives, getting people off opioids, and helping soldiers recover…but will have numerous alcohol ads glorifying parties and social drinking… alright. I’m heated.
— Hayden Watson (@haydenwatson77) January 28, 2019
@NFLonCBS @CBS @FCC How can you possibly reject a commercial for a product that can help so many kinds of people and improve their lives?
We're talking special needs, chronic pain and so many different people.
Shame on you. #SuperBowl #SBLIIIhttps://t.co/CZmQuheZx6
— Charlie Ricker (@ByCharlieRicker) January 28, 2019
One of two reasons I’m choosing to not watch #SuperBowl this year.
Watch The Rejected Medical Marijuana Super Bowl Commercial: 'Cannabis Has Given Me My Life Back' https://t.co/xjIKB5AjxX— That Guy Down The Hall (@joshyjosh2009) January 28, 2019
But not everyone was upset the commercial won’t air.
'Let’s just hope that when the time comes, the powers of weed have lightened up a little and don’t try to feed football fans a dramatic commercial as drab and depressing as the one rejected.' – Why some are glad the #SuperBowLIII #cannabis ad was rejected. https://t.co/HOfGOUOgJI
— NICHE Canada (@NICHECanada) January 28, 2019
The U.S is the only country that allows med advertising. I understand not broadcasting the commercial due to the fact medical marijuana it’s not federally legal. I’d rather see an educational commercial on cannabis, than listen to the list of side affects from pharmaceuticals. https://t.co/WHgstxRbF7
— ♏️ylee (@Myleetarbox) January 28, 2019
Either way, the company and the ad are still getting attention. Maybe not the huge national attention they’d hoped for (but probably knew they wouldn’t get), but people are seeing the ad.
h/t: eBaum’s World