The first-ever TV commercial for medical marijuana, which was about an upcoming conference in Portland, Oregon on the industry, was scheduled and then canceled on August 18, Tuesday. The television station dropped the pot ad, which was linked to the founder of the cannabis organization that helped get recreational marijuana legalized in the state, due its would-be "historic" airing.
The commercial was created for the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference (OMMBC). It got the station's green light Tuesday morning.
Anthony Johnson of the "Yes on 91" public campaign is also the founder of the Oregon Cannabis Industry Association. He explained that Portland's KATU pulled the commercial on Tuesday afternoon due to the media attention, according to Portland Tribune.
Johnson said that the commercial was scheduled to air until Sep. 10. He argued that network television has been "hostile" towards the marijuana industry. A similar ad was withdrawn from a TV schedule in Denver.
Johnson claimed that it was critical that the first cannabis ad on network TV was for the use of hemp for medicinal purposes. It was not about recreational pot.
The OMMBC commercial focused on the medical marijuana industry. It also addressed issues related to top experts and attorneys in the field.
Speakers at the event will include state politicians, attorneys, and a news anchor. The reporter Cyd Maurer claimed that she was fired from her job due to her use of marijuana.
Marijuana ads are still considered risqué by many media outlets. Although in 1996 California became the first state to legalize the drug, the first dispensary billboard went up in December 2014.
However, supporters of the OMMBC argue that advertising for such events is critical as people's worldview is greatly affected by TV, according to Marijuana Politics. It allows them to see that the cannabis industry is like others in society.