First Marijuana TV Commercial in U.S. History Pulled, Never Aired
Last July Denver TV station KMGH-Channel 7 agreed to air a commercial for a marijuana dispensary, but the station backed out before airing it. That left KATU-TV in Portland with the chance to make broadcast history... and that fell through in mid August.
Even though local general managers are saying yes, corporate management is blocking the ads from running because it's still a federally-prohibited substance and the right to broadcast is granted by the Federal Communications Commission.
It's a tricky thing for the stations and business owners alike. They want make and spend money promoting a legal product... but only legal because federal drug agents are declining to fight with the states.
Yet permitted isn't the same as permission. It's still a contentious issue for sure.