We had to rub our eyes earlier this week to make sure we hadn’t misread an article by The Post’s Jeremy P. Meyer — but no, it said exactly what we thought it had. The medical marijuana lobby in Denver wants to ban outdoor advertising, such as billboards and sign-flippers.
“We see this as a necessary step to clean up the industry,” said Michael Elliott of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group, adding that it was also a way to prevent the industry from luring in “nonqualifying patients.”
We get that. And we also understand why Councilwoman Debbie Ortega might be willing to sponsor an ordinance imposing a citywide ban on such advertising, given fears about medicinal pot use among young adults and even teens.
Still, a ban on advertising is a draconian tactic given the First Amendment implications. Incredibly, a board member of the industry group actually justified a possible ban on the fact that marijuana is illegal under federal law. Can he be serious? By that logic, Denver should outlaw all dispensaries, too.
We support a ban on advertising medical marijuana near schools. Beyond that, we’ll stick with the right to free expression.
