Advertising In The Age Of Pot
14September

Advertising In The Age Of Pot

Written by Craig Rogers, Posted on , in Section Essential Reads

With the advent of marijuana legalization in Colorado, it seems almost inevitable that pot legalization will continue to spread around the country. Legalization activists and millions of others who enjoy using marijuana are rejoicing, but they aren't alone. The market has a new cash crop and big business is ready to jump in and transform marijuana into a ubequtious product.  With cigarette use down tremendously, marijuana is seen by some as the natural replacement. Soon, we may see the Marlboro man lay down his cigarette and pick up a joint.

Could Advertising Bring A Quick End To Legalization

So far, businesses have been cautious about overt advertisement. This is likely due to fear of backlash from the federal government, which still outlaws marijuana sale. However, with the feds giving every indication that they won't intervene with Colorado's legalization, this will most likely become the norm as more states follow the same path. As those looking to cash in on legalization become more confident that they won't be facing any legal consequences for their actions, widespread advertising campaigns are sure to follow. But what will will be the content of these advertisements and perhaps more importantly who will they target? If experience is any indication, these ads will be nominally aimed at adults but also meant to give kids the clear impression that marijuana use is cool and something they should definitely be involved in. This makes sense from a business perspective, but will this end up resulting in the resurgence of prohibition?

Will We Regret This Commercialization

Right now, it's clear that opinions about weed are changing. There has been a clear drop in opposition to marijuana's use across the country and through almost every age group. This is a great victory for those who enjoy using marijuana, but with such quick progress comes the danger of a severe backlash. If it becomes a common practice to use the same techniques cigarette companies used to employ to target youth, then it will only be a matter of time before another crusade against marijuana begins. So if you're one of those celebrating the historic victory for marijuana in Colorado, enjoy it while you can. It won't be long before the greed of big business presents a serious challenge to your movement. The deciding factor in the budding ad war for the buzz bud may be in who advertisers deem to target. If a certain kind of user who is seen as less of a liability is the target, then it probably won't be an issue. If it's kids, well, who can say how long this sesh will last?