A new Missouri advertising campaign for recreational cannabis legalization is receiving pushback from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which has notified the public they didn’t sign off on two of the pro-reform ads, which briefly show an officer, STL Today reports.
Legal Missouri 2022, the primary group advocating for Amendment 3 to legalize the sale of recreational cannabis, released a trio of ads, arguing that the legislation will aid in law enforcement, which will broadcast on digital platforms throughout the state.
“The Patrol is aware of Legal Missouri 2022’s advertisement featuring the Patrol” the Highway Patrol’s Twitter account posted on Wednesday. “The Patrol did not give its permission for its emblem, name, or images to be used nor was permission sought.”
One 15-second ad, titled “Too Many,” focuses on the Missourians who have criminal records due to arrests for possessing small amounts of cannabis. “Amendment 3 will expunge the records of nonviolent marijuana offenders and safely legalize marijuana,” the narrator states. “It’s time.”
The group also shared 15- and 30-second versions of the ad titled “Our Turn,” which references the amount of other states in the country that have legalized recreational cannabis so far and tout the amendment as a pro-police measure. “Now it’s our turn, Missouri.” The ad goes on, saying that a yes vote on the amendment “is a vote to help our law enforcement do their job” and to “let police focus on serious crimes,” with text on the screen reading, “Yes On Amendment 3 / Support the Police.”
The 15-second ad features a very brief b-roll shot of a state trooper on a motorcycle. The 30-second ad includes this shot, preceded by another shot of an officer exiting their vehicle. The longer ad also mentions that the amendment will help to fund veteran healthcare and nods once more to the expungement of nonviolent cannabis crimes.
Both versions end with the statement, “For our vets, for our police, for Missouri, vote yes on 3,” featuring two additional, quick shots of an officer entering a vehicle and another on a motorcycle. Each of these shots are fractions of a second in length.
Highway Patrol Captain John Hotz told The Kansas City Star that the agency sent Legal Missouri 2022 a cease-and-desist order over the shots of officers included in the ad. He didn’t provide a copy of the letter to the Star and suggested a reporter file a records request; the Highway Patrol didn’t immediately fulfill the request for the letter.
Legal Missouri 2022 Campaign Manager John Payne told the Star that the group still hadn’t received the letter as of Thursday evening, adding that the Highway Patrol had no ground to demand a stop to the footage’s use.
“We haven’t received any such document, but this footage is available to be licensed, and we did that, which is our right,” Payne said in an email. In another email, sent to the Star earlier on Thursday, he said, “The stock footage in our ad shows exactly why Amendment 3 will allow law enforcement to focus on fighting violent and serious crime.”
Republican Governor Mike Parson, who oversees the Highway Patrol, has also been highly critical of the legalization effort, calling Amendment 3 a “disaster” and too overly complicated.
Despite resistance, Legal Missouri 2022 has raised nearly $700,000 in large donations since October 1 alone. A survey, released last month, from Emerson College POlling and The Hill also found that just under half (48%) of voters back the amendment, while 35% are opposed and 17% are unsure. However, the outcome appears to be somewhat up in the air.
Another poll, conducted earlier in September, found that only 43% of likely voters favored the initiative, but Legal Missouri 2022 pointed out that the same firm behind that survey also indicated there was little support for a 2018 medical cannabis ballot act, which ended up passing overwhelmingly.
