State pulls ad against stoned driving
A televised advertisement aimed at discouraging drivers from getting behind the wheel under the influence of marijuana was removed by California officials after critics said it promoted use of the drug.
The ad, part of the “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze” campaign by the California Office of Traffic Safety, starts with a montage of people listing reasons they use cannabis — before assuring that they never drive while intoxicated.
“OK, I love it,” one man says of marijuana, smiling and looking into the camera.
Rhonda Craft, director of the Office of Traffic Safety, said in a statement, “We are cognizant and share the concerns expressed over certain elements of our most recent ads. As a result, we will continue to refine and improve messaging as we move forward.”
The agency plans to continue using another ad that was produced for an earlier antiDUI campaign. “The points remain the same — drive high and you can get a DUI,” Craft said.
The ad that was pulled began running late last year in preparation for the Jan. 1 launch of recreational cannabis sales under Proposition 64. The controversy over it underscores tension over legalization, with tax receipts from sales directed toward programs designed to combat problems associated with drug use.
The ad features several people describing the benefits of their marijuana use.
“It helps my anxiety,” a man says.
“It helps my cramps,” a woman says.
“It allows me to slow my thought process,” another man says.
Later, all of them say they wouldn’t drive under the influence.
“I never drive high,” one man says.
“It’s still a DUI,” adds a woman.
Rob Stutzman, a conservative political consultant and former spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, tweeted his disdain for the video, calling on Gov. Jerry Brown to remove it.
“This CA taxpayer funded PSA spends most air time normalizing/promoting pot use before saying don’t drive stoned. Imagine same extolling virtues of alcohol? This is is absurd, @JerryBrownGov should nix this,” Stutzman wrote on Twitter.
Recreational marijuana sales kicked off Jan. 1 in a number of cities, including Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose and Sebastopol, and started over the weekend in San Francisco.
The state launched its campaign in 2016 to bring awareness to the danger of drivers using prescription drugs and marijuana, whether legally or not. Under California law, driving under the influence of cannabis is a crime.
Mohammed Abraar Ali, 22, of Hayward was charged with second-degree murder as well as driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in a Christmas Eve crash that killed a California Highway Patrol officer in Hayward.
Ali admitted to using marijuana before the crash and had the drug in his system, CHP officials said.