Weed may be now be legal in Denver, but Comcast isn’t so high on it and doesn’t see fit to air commercials about lighting up.
My420mate.com, a dating site devoted to cannabis lovers, wanted to air a spot on Comcast in Denver. But Comcast’s legal department declined, despite an account exec acknowledging just how “tame” the spot was.
In emails provided to The Mirror, Ariana Dobson, a political specialist and national account executive with Comcast Spotlight in Colorado, explains – however vaguely – why the national company turned down the ad, which hardly has a Cheech & Chong or even Snoop Dogg feel to it. In the ad, a friendly woman with dirty blonde dreadlocks busting out of a black tank top talks about connecting with other like-minded singles on the website. [RELATED: Want to fall in love with a pothead?]
Jay Lindberg, co-founder of My420mate.com, said he was shocked when Comcast turned him down. “They recognize that they run way more risqué dating commercials, and this was a rather tame commercial compared to the other ones that they normally run,” he told The Mirror. “They understood that cannabis is legal however their legal team is still on the fence about running cannabis related commercials. So they politely refused to run it.”
Comcast, however, may be smart to play it safe at this point. At least legally. If viewers outside the state receive its signal, in places were Cannabis is not legal, the federal government could rear it’s ugly head on them.
Check out the exchange below between Lindberg and Dobson.
(June 11, 2014) DOBSON: “Hi Jay! Thanks for all the info. My direct contact information can be found below. If you could send a copy of the specific spot you’re planning to run, that will allow my marketing and legal department to sign off so I can get a proposal together for you. Thanks so much!”
(June 12, 2014) DOBSON: “Hi Jay, I just got word that we’re unable to accept this advertising on our stations. Our legal team made the call on this – I wish you the best of luck promoting your website! Thanks.”
LINDBERG: “Ariana, can you provide a reason or explanation as to why they cannot run our ad? Is it simply because it is cannabis related? The higher ups would like me to provide more of an explanation for our internal files.”
DOBSON: “Hi Jay, that’s exactly the reason. Comcast has chosen not to allow advertising around this category of any kind. We’re not taking ANY biz from the new industry.”
LINDBERG: “Ariana, Thank you for getting back with me… I understand the legal team has made a decision. However, feel free to check out he slot that we wanted to run.”
DOBSON: “Hi Jay! That’s a pretty tame spot, and if it were up to me we would run it – great creative, well produced. Good luck to you!”
Watch the proposed spot below.