The Denver City Council Will Hold A Public Hearing Tonight To Discuss Outdoor Medical Marijuana Advertising
A public hearing will be held tonight on a proposal that would ban outdoor advertising for medical marijuana dispensaries in Denver. The ban was proposed by Denver City Council members Christopher Herndon and Debbie Ortega. According to the City of Denver’s website, the proposal:
Makes it unlawful to advertise medical marijuana within 1000 feet of any school, child care center, park or recreation center
1. Includes the following forms of advertisement:
a. Business signs on the exterior of dispensaries other than the sign which identifies the building;
b. Hand held signs (‘sign flippers’) standing in the public right adjacent to or near dispensaries or centers;
c. Hand bills and leaflets;
2. Excludes the following locations for advertisement purposes, as well as forms of advertisement
a. Parkways (beautification strips) under the jurisdiction of parks and recreation;
b. Advertising in newspapers, magazines and other periodicals (i.e. Westword);
c. Advertisement associated with the sponsorship of a charitable event;
Opinions among the Denver medical marijuana community are mixed. “On one side is the Cannabis Business Alliance, which denounces the proposal by saying it creates too many uncertainties for the industry. On the other is the Medical Marijuana Industry Group, which supports the proposed ban by arguing that it is a show of neighborliness for an industry that is not always embraced.” According to the Denver Post.
What do TWB readers think? Should medical marijuana businesses be able to advertise like other businesses. Do you think that it shows ‘good neighbor practices’ to refrain from advertising where children can see it? I’d love to hear from our Denver readers who are on the ground. I’d also like to hear from people in other areas that see bans like this going up in their areas, or might already have them. You can read the current version of the bill here. For more information, call Denver City Council Legislative Services at 720-337-2000.
