Colorado marijuana legalization campaign runs first TV ad

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol unveiled its first television advertisement on Thursday, urging voters in Colorado to legalize recreational use of the drug.

In the 30-second ad, a young woman sends an email to her mother explaining why she uses marijuana instead of alcohol.

"I used to drink a lot," she says. "It was kind of crazy. But now that I am older, I prefer to use marijuana. It's less harmful to my body, I don't get hungover and honestly I feel safer around marijuana users."

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 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.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol hopes the ad "will inspire thousands of mothers and daughters in the state to have conversations about marijuana this weekend."

"We need our supporters to help other Coloradans appreciate that marijuana is not 'bad;' it is simply a less harmful and acceptable alternative to alcohol," the campaign said.