These Pro-Marijuana Ads Have Caused Quite an Uproar in Portland, Maine

November 5. Judgement day.

Image via the Marijuana Policy Project.

Some residents of Portland, Maine are not pleased about the appearance of ads promoting marijuana as safer than alcohol on buses. Advertisements claiming that marijuana is "less harmful" began appearing on buses yesterday, much to the chagrin of the anti-drug crowd. 

The debate is over Question 1, which aims to legalize marijuana for adults in Portland on Nov. 5. To create awareness, the Marijuana Policy Project spent $2,500 on advertisements featuring regualr people (the average weed smoker) advocating the drug's use. Saying that the ads have rubbed the opponents of marijuana's legalization the wrong way is an understatement.

"It's highly inappropriate to be promoting Pro Marijuana message in a place that has a large audience of people under the age of 21" said drug prevention group 21 Reasons spokesperson Kate Perkins in an interview with WCSH.

Although METRO—the public bus service in Portland—has been flooded with complaints about the ads, they aren't going anywhere. The justification is that they fall under the umbrella of "political advertising," which means they don't violate any rules. 

[via New York Daily News and WCSH News]

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