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New billboard urges weed responsibility

Pot advocates follow path similar to beer, liquor
Marijuana advocates unveil a billboard to encourage adults to “Keep ‘adult snacks’ locked up and out of reach.”

DENVER – Marijuana legalization advocates Monday unveiled a new billboard instructing adults to “keep ‘adult snacks’ locked up and out of reach.”

The billboard, by the Marijuana Policy Project, comes at a time when Colorado continues to grapple with how to protect children and adults from accidental overdoses as a result of the proliferation of cannabis edibles.

But the billboard by MPP does not discriminate. Prominently displayed on the billboard, which features a small child peering up over a kitchen counter, is a glass of red wine, otherwise construed to a child as grape juice. It also features a few cookies that could be infused with marijuana.

Legalization in Colorado has always been tied to alcohol, with cannabis proponents arguing that the drug should be regulated similar to alcohol, and that it is actually less harmful.

“We need to treat marijuana like any other product that is legal for adults and not meant for children,” said Jane West, a mother of two small children and the director of Women Grow.

“A marijuana-infused cookie might look like a regular cookie to my 4-year-old, just as a glass of wine might look just like grape juice,” West continued. “Whether it’s marijuana, alcohol or household-cleaning products, it’s our job as parents to keep them locked up and out of reach.”

The billboard is also being displayed in Seattle, where Washington state has also legalized marijuana.

The campaign is part of the ConsumeResponsibly.org project, launched by marijuana advocates to shine a spotlight on responsible marijuana consumption and behavior. The campaign is similar to the “drink responsibly” push by major beer and liquor companies.

Marijuana advocates are regularly criticized by their opponents for a lack of responsibility. Smart Colorado, a Denver-based organization dedicated to protecting children from cannabis, launched their own billboard before Halloween warning about marijuana candies ending up in children’s Halloween baskets.

The Smart Colorado billboard asked, “Can you spot the pot?” and featured several candies. The point was to show that marijuana edibles can look just like children’s candy and is therefore difficult to identify.

“It’s our responsibility as a community to provide children, teens, parents, teachers, medical professionals, employers and neighbors with the information necessary to protect Colorado citizens and, most importantly, our kids,” said Diane Carlson, co-founder of Smart Colorado. “We have unfortunately asked Colorado children and teenagers to navigate an increasingly dangerous environment without providing the information, tools and support they need to adequately protect their health and futures.”

Halloween came and went without a single report of marijuana ending up in children’s baskets.

Meanwhile, Colorado continues to work on how to identify marijuana-infused products. A workgroup that was meeting up until last week finished with little progress, leaving it uncertain just how edibles might be marked.

A law passed by the Legislature last session required that rules be adopted by January 2016 on making products readily identifiable.

But as Mason Tvert, spokesman for MPP, pointed out, conversations around keeping kids away from dangerous products is nothing new. That’s why the MPP billboard states, “Some juices and cookies are not meant for kids,” and urges adults to, “Keep ‘adult snacks’ locked up and out of reach.”

The billboard is located at 153 Kalamath St. in Denver.

“Now that states are taking a smarter approach to marijuana policy, it’s time for a smarter approach to marijuana education,” Tvert said. “Issues such as over-consumption and accidental ingestion are not unique to marijuana, and a lot can be learned from how we handle other legal products. These problems can be addressed by raising awareness and informing adults about steps that should be taken to prevent them.”

pmarcus@durangoherald.com



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