CBS Rejects Super Bowl Ad From Cannabis Company With Mass. Ties
NEW YORK (CBS) -- Marijuana is now for sale legally in Massachusetts and California, the two states home to the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. But cannabis firm Acreage Holdings, which has ties to the Bay State, says CBS has rejected its Super Bowl ad touting the benefits of medical marijuana.
Company president George Allen said in a CBS News interview that the network told him "we're not taking advertisements for cannabis." The NFL bans marijuana use even though surveys show most players support its medical use.
CBS said in a statement that under current broadcast standards, it does not accept cannabis-related advertisements. The NFL also has the right to reject Super Bowl commercials.
Acreage Holdings says on its website that it owns and operates a 36,000-square-foot cultivation and processing facility in Massachusetts. It also runs a brand of medical marijuana dispensaries called "The Botanist." One retail location opened in Worcester last month and two more are expected to start selling medical marijuana in Leominster and Shrewsbury soon.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld sits on the company's board of advisors.
Thirty-three states and Washington, D.C. have legalized medical marijuana.