Michigan City Bans Marijuana Ads

A Michigan City Council has voted unanimously to ban advertising for marijuana. The new ban went into effect this week, giving business owners with ads up in restricted areas 60 days to remove marijuana advertising.

Why the Weed Advertising Ban?

The idea is to remove flashy weed-based signage from areas where kids and teens frequent including schools, libraries, parks, recreation centers and more. Any ads within 1,000 feet of those locations or any others that would attract kids are no longer legal.

Back in November the Detroit City Council approved a resolution that allowed the city to move forward with the new ordinance. But the new law prohibits not just marijuana advertising but also applies to products referred to as ENDS.

What are ENDS?

Short for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, ENDS also fall under the advertising ban. According to the National Cancer Institute products like vapes, e-cigarettes and mods fall into the category of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems.

Studies show that kids who are exposed to marijuana and vape advertising are more likely to start using this products, and in some cases abuse them. Some cannabis business owners argue that the new ordinance is a violation of the right to free speech.

Detroit City Councilwoman Angela Whitfield Calloway recently said in a statement, 'A lot of them (students) are engaging in this substance use, and now it's abuse," she said, "and it's doing a lot of damage to their brains, which has been medically proven, and that's what we're trying to prevent.'