Colorado launched it’s new and innovative marijuana education campaign this week. Rather than disparaging consumers or using scare tactics to convince people not to use, it takes a much more “neighborly” tone.
Cannabis Patients Alliance (Teri Robnett) is happy and proud to be a part of the Retail Marijuana Education Oversight Committee that is providing advice and guidance during this process.
We think it’s pretty great. How ’bout you?
DENVER — January 5, 2015. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment today launched a media campaign to educate Colorado adults and visitors about the safe, legal and responsible use of retail marijuana.
The campaign, “Good to Know,” focuses on retail marijuana laws and health effects, including the ban on use in public places, age restrictions, DUI laws, the dangers of overuse and other concerns related to marijuana and marijuana-infused products. The campaign also will educate parents on how to protect kids from marijuana products.
“We want to be sure Coloradans have an opportunity to first, understand all of the laws surrounding the legal use of retail marijuana,” said Dr. Larry Wolk, Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer of the department. “That’s the key to understanding every other aspect, including youth prevention and health effects.”
The campaign, developed in conjunction with the Denver ad agency Cactus, is the first statewide public education campaign led by the health department. It uses a friendly, colorful and approachable style to educate Coloradans about retail marijuana laws and continues a statewide conversation with families, health care providers, schools, community groups and retailers about how to ensure legal marijuana doesn’t adversely affect either users or nonusers.
The 18-month campaign includes:
- A new website, GoodToKnowColorado.com, which provides campaign-related materials and information about community resources, laws and regulations, safe use and health effects.
- Good to Know social sites: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- Radio spots throughout the state starting today.
- Print and digital advertising starting in mid-January.
- Television and outdoor advertising starting in late February.
The state health department also is conducting statewide research to help craft messages for youth, pregnant and breastfeeding women and Latinos. These targeted messages and engagement efforts will launch over the next six months.
Colorado.gov/marijuana will continue to serve as the state portal for marijuana information from various state agencies and is separate from the Good To Know campaign.
The Retail Marijuana Education Program was funded with a total of $5.7 million, approximately $4 million of which is to conduct the 18-month educational campaign, Spanish language campaigns, resources to educate people at point of sale and a youth-focused prevention campaign that will launch this spring. Funding comes from marijuana tax revenue appropriated to the department by the state legislature.
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