The Marijuana Policy Project is taking advantage of New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd’s June pot op-ed in its launch of an advertisement campaign to promote safe marijuana consumption.
The group is spending $75,000 or more on print and online advertisements as well as literature that asks individuals to visit ConsumeResponsibly.org in order to learn how to become a responsible pot smoker or eater, reports The Washington Post.
The campaign launched in Denver, Colorado, Wednesday with a billboard that says, “Don’t let a candy bar ruin your vacation.”
The phrase refers to Dowd’s June piece in which the New York Times writer detailed her experience of consuming too much of a pot candy bar in Colorado.
“I was thirsty but couldn’t move to get water,” she wrote. “Or even turn off the lights. I was panting and paranoid, sure that when the room-service waiter knocked and I didn’t answer, he’d call the police and have me arrested for being unable to handle my candy.”
Marijuana Policy Project communications director Mason Tvert said of the campaign, “Like most Americans, Ms. Dowd has probably seen countless silly anti-marijuana ads on TV, but she has never seen one that highlights the need to ‘start low and go slow’ when choosing to consume marijuana edibles.”
Dowd told BuzzFeed in an e-mail exchange regarding the billboard, “I love it. I’m going to make it my Christmas card.”
“But some of my friends have pointed out that the hotel room looks way too tidy,” she added.
The organization’s website includes information about marijuana laws and the effects of consuming the drug, among other tasty tidbits. Just make sure not to consume them too quickly.
