The recently formed Moms and Dads for Marijuana Regulation, which supports marijuana legalization in Colorado, unveiled a new billboard advertisement on Thursday.
The billboard is located across the street from the Denver Broncos' stadium and features a man embracing his teen son and stating: "Please, card my son. Regulate the sale of marijuana and help me keep it out of his hands."
Residents of Colorado will have the opportunity this November to legalize marijuana possession and allow regulated sales of marijuana in their state.
If approved by voters, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act (Amendment 64) would allow for the limited possession and cultivation of cannabis by adults age 21 and over. It would also allow the state and local governments to enact regulations on the commercial production and distribution of marijuana, as well giving local governments the option to prohibit marijuana sales altogether.
"Far too often, we hear opponents of reform using teens as a reason to maintain marijuana prohibition," Georgia Edson, a Denver-based mother and licensed clinical social worker, said. "They are simply playing on the fears of parents. The true dangers related to marijuana come from its illegal status. Like the father portrayed in the billboard, I would feel much more comfortable knowing that marijuana was being sold in regulated stores where sellers would be checking IDs."
Last year, Colorado became the first state in the nation to begin issuing licenses for businesses that sell medical marijuana and marijuana-infused products. The state has also formally asked the Drug Enforcement Agency to reclassify marijuana. Currently, the DEA classifies marijuana as a schedule I drug: the most restrictive classification reserved for dangerous drugs with no real medical value.
Although Colorado has legalized medical marijuana, those who distribute the drug still risk running afoul of federal law. The Obama administration’s Department of Justice has made a practice of not prosecuting medical marijuana patients in states where the drug has been approved, but it still considers distributors to be fair game for prosecution.
