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Re:Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin by mtgx on Saturday August 13, 2016 @09:13AM (#12281329)
That's why I hope that if it is legalized, it would at least be banned from advertising.

The idea should be that "it's your choice if you want to use it, but people shouldn't be mass-brain washed by ads into believing it's the best thing ever that they should buy."

Re:Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin by metaphorm on Saturday August 13, 2016 @09:37AM (#12281439)
its legal to advertise pharmaceuticals. why should there be a special ban for advertising cannabis?

if your objection is to "mass-brain washing", I think you're gonna have a lot of 1st amendment trouble arguing that case legally.

Re:Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin by njloof on Saturday August 13, 2016 @01:14PM (#12282180)
I have the same concern about the advertising of pharmaceuticals, both directly to consumers and especially to providers.

What were the arguments used to regulate the display and advertising of tobacco? Those might be a model for the advertising of other potentially harmful substances. Certainly how beer is advertised is no model to follow.

Re:Stop Treating Marijuana Like Heroin by metaphorm on Saturday August 13, 2016 @06:50PM (#12283460)
afaik tobacco is not treated as a drug or medicine and historically was not regulated by the FDA (it began to be regulated by USDA and FDA in 2009).

in any case, regardless of whether or not beer advertising is a good "model for society" is kinda irrelevant from the constitutional law perspective. the legal rulings have repeatedly found that commercial marketing is, with a few exceptions, free speech and that the government is limited in its ability to regulate that type of expression.

from an ethical perspective, I think that people living in a free society have an ethical responsibility to educate ourselves and our communities about drugs (of all kinds, including alcohol and tobacco) independently of the commercial promotion of those products. at some point you have to just let people be responsible from themselves. trying to enforce health and safety through prohibition or censorship is not a good strategy.