As medical marijuana has become legalized or decriminalized in many states, broadcasters have looked at advertising for the services of clinics and dispensaries as a potential new revenue source. As some community newspapers and other local media have begun to advertise dispensaries in states where medical marijuana is legal, we’ve been asked many times whether broadcasters can start to run such ads as well. Many radio and TV stations have even been approached by the operators of these clinics, seeking to run advertising schedules. Should broadcasters accept such ads? We urge caution.
Even though many states have decriminalized medical marijuana, possession and distribution of marijuana is still a Federal crime. And broadcasters, unlike most other local media outlets, operate with Federal licenses. While the current US Attorney General has said that he will not criminally prosecute medical marijuana cases, the prohibition against marijuana remains on the books. A careful reading of the Attorney General’s directive on medical marijuana shows that the Department of Justice has not said that medical marijuana is a legal substance, but only that, as a matter of prosecutorial priorities, the DOJ will not use its resources to target dispensaries and clinics operating under the color of state laws. So, while this Attorney General may not direct his Department to prosecute medical marijuana users or distributors, the possession of marijuana remains a Federal crime, and the Attorney General’s memo makes clear that state laws cannot change this conclusion. Thus, there may be some zealous local Federal prosecutor who decides to enforce the law on his or her own. Or, perhaps of more concern to the broadcaster, is the fact that there may be some local citizen in an area served by a radio or television station that runs such an ad who complains about the content of the ad to the FCC. In fact, we understand that there are already such complaints pending at the FCC. Continue Reading Advertising Medical Marijuana on Broadcast Stations – Is It Legal, What Will the FCC Think?