City Council restricts marijuana advertisements

On September 6, the Boulder City Council amended its previous medical marijuana policy to include a section on how dispensaries are allowed to advertise.

Boulder spokesperson Sarah Huntley said the change is because the city received complaints about the content catering to minors and students, as well as making recreational use too appealing.

However, Boulder dispensaries seem to welcome the change: “As a new industry, we do have a lot to prove, that this is not the Cheech and Chong model that a lot of people would assume that it is. It’s quite professional,” said Kevin Byrne, owner of the Boulder Dispensary, CDS.

Byrne also gives some insight as to why dispensaries advertise in that manner. He describes the early days of the medical marijuana industry as a ruthless business landscape, saying, “The competition was fierce. People have a lot of money invested. Essentially, it's capitalism, and without regulation, people are going to push those limits.”

Huntley says city’s regulations will not affect any print media if violations occur; the responsibility to produce advertising within the limits falls to the dispensaries.

The new regulations will take full effect on October 20.