Comment on Pot industry battling stoner stereotypes

DENVER — Tired of Cheech & Chong pot jokes and ominous anti-drug campaigns, the marijuana industry and activists are starting an ad blitz in Colorado aimed at promoting moderation and the safe consumption of pot. “So far, every campaign designed to educate the public about marijuana has relied on fear-mongering and insulting marijuana users,” said Mason Tvert, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s biggest pot-policy advocacy group. The group unveiled a billboard last week that shows a woman slumped in a hotel room with the tagline: “Don’t let a candy bar ruin your vacation.” “To me, that’s not really any different than Nancy Reagan saying 'Just Say No,’” said Tim Cullen, co-owner of four marijuana dispensaries and a critic of the “lab rat” campaign, referring to the former first lady’s effort to combat drug use. A spokesman for the state Health Department welcomed the industry’s ads, and defended the “lab rat” campaign.