On November 8, 2022, Missouri voters will vote on whether or not to legalize cannabis in the state. Ahead of the vote, Legal Missouri 2022—the primary group advocating for Amendment 3 to legalize the sale of recreational cannabis—produced a number of pro-cannabis ads featuring an individual wearing the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s uniform.
The agency swiftly responded, saying it didn’t give permission for the use of the footage, and the ads were pulled from YouTube due to a copyright claim by the agency, according to a Kansas City Star report. However, at the time of writing, it appears the ads have been restored.
The trio of ads, released by Legal Missouri 2022 in October, argue that the legislation will aid in law enforcement. In addition to a separate 15-second ad, the group shared 15- and 30-second versions of another ad, referencing the amount of other states in the country that have legalized cannabis, touting Amendment 3 as a pro-police measure. The ad says 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 shorter ad features a brief b-roll shot of a state trooper on a motorcycle, and the longer version includes this shot, with another of an officer exiting their vehicle. Both versions end with the statement, “For our vets, for our police, for Missouri, vote yes on 3,” featuring two additional shots, each less than a second, of an officer entering a vehicle and another on a motorcycle.
While they are now live on YouTube, the Star reported that both the 15- and 30-second ads were removed.
“The Patrol is aware of Legal Missouri 2022’s advertisement featuring the Patrol” the Highway Patrol’s Twitter account posted in October. “The Patrol did not give its permission for its emblem, name, or images to be used nor was permission sought.”
At the time, Highway Patrol Captain John Hotz told the Star that the agency had sent a cease-and-desist letter over the b-roll of officers included in the ad.
Legal Missouri 2022 Campaign Manager John Payne said at the time that the agency had no ground to demand a stop to the footage’s use.
“… This footage is available to be licensed, and we did that, which is our right,” Payne said in an email in October, adding in a separate message, “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 oversees the Highway Patrol and has also been highly critical of the legalization effort in the state, calling the new amendment a “disaster” and overly complicated.
While Missouri State Highway Patrol may not approve of their likeness being used in advertising for Amendment 3, another law enforcement group, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) recently announced their strong support for Amendment 3, saying it’s time for failed cannabis laws to change. LEAP is a nonprofit group of police, prosecutors, judges and other criminal justice professionals with firsthand experience in making communities safer, with a focus on law enforcement resources to curb the greatest threats to public safety.
“We have watched as marijuana arrests and convictions taxed the resources of our local police departments and caused real harm to neighborhoods,” said retired Lieutenant Diane Goldstein, and current executive director of LEAP. “What people don’t see behind the scenes is that law enforcement has a duty to respond any time dispatch receives a call about these low-level marijuana offenses. They divert our attention from responding to and solving more serious crimes. These calls are a distraction and don’t serve the public interest.”
With less than a week until Election Day, the issue looks like a bit of a toss-up, as one recent survey found that just under half (48%) of voters back the amendment, compared to 35% opposed and 17% unsure.
