REUTERS/Carlos Osorio
- Although medical marijuana is legal in 30 states, you likely won't see Super Bowl ads relating to it.
- CBS denied a proposed Super Bowl advertisement promoting the benefits of medical marijuana, according to The Washington Post. The network is airing the game on February 3.
- Acreage Holdings, a pro-marijuana investment firm, said its 30-second ad advocating for the plant's ability to alleviate pain was denied, though Acreage President George Allen said he was not surprised.
- Marijuana is still considered an illegal drug at the federal level.
Chances are you won't see Super Bowl ads for medical marijuana this year. Or any time soon.
Even though 30 states have legalized the use of cannabis in one form or another, CBS, the network airing the game this year, denied a proposed ad promoting the plant's ability to alleviate pain.
Acreage Holdings, a US-based marijuana investment firm, which recently brought former House speaker John A. Boehner on its board of directors, said its proposed 30-second ad was rejected by CBS after seeing a "rough outline."
Acerage President George Allen told Bloomberg that the advertisement was not a display of the company's own cannabis products, but an endorsement "aimed to create an advocacy campaign for constituents who are being lost in the dialogue." Allen also said the ad was developed as "a public service announcement" advocating for clients.
Several recent reports have found medical marijuana can be an effective treatment for chronic pain and a handful of other ailments, including arthritis, and can help manage epileptic seizures. Some states, like California and Oregon, have had legalized medical marijuana for over two decades.
But according to The Washington Post, CBS' broadcast standards state it cannot accept cannabis-related
Unless marijuana becomes legal on a federal level, we can expect some TV networks to continue to deny ads featuring cannabis.