It is probably no surprise that the month of January alone brought in around $2 million in tax revenue for the state of Colorado from the sale of legal marijuana. Perhaps even better news is that the state committed part of that tax money to a unique series of Public Service Announcements aimed at discouraging driving while under the influence of the new legal smokable “treat”. The funny video ads are based on the slogan ‘Drive High, Get a DUI’ This well thought out series of ads goes on to demonstrate some things that can be done while under the influence of high grade bud, with each one warning against driving under the influence of the newly legal herb.
The Colorado Department of Transportation PSAs that bring a bit of comic relief to their message warning against stoned driving include:
The Stoned Griller
This video offers the message: ‘Grilling high is now legal. Driving to get the propane you forgot isn’t’. A stoned man is getting ready to? grill some food when the camera pans to show an empty spot where the propane tank should be, obviously forgotten by the stoned chef.
The Stoned Widescreen TV Installer
This funny video shows a reefer enhanced man hanging a widescreen TV. The man responds to a case of the munchies and partakes of snacks his wife made. As he chows down the poorly hung TV crashes to the floor. This ad’s text says: “Installing your TV while high is now legal, but driving to get a new one isn’t”
The Stoned Basketball Dribbler
This third video shows a man in stoned reverie dribbling a basketball getting ready to shoot a free throw as other players wait in wonder and he never takes a shot. ?The text here is: Playing ball high is now legal. Driving to see the pros play afterward isn’t.”
Based on CDOT research the release of the ads on television will target TV shows that are popular among men in their 20s and early 30s. The government department indicates that men in that age range have the greatest number of DUI arrests. The Transportation Department will also reach out to car rental agencies making sure to get the word out to rental drivers about the illegal nature of smoking pot and driving. The use of marijuana was alluded to as a factor in 15% of impaired driving tickets in the first part of 2014.
The state of legal Ganja has undertaken a training program of highway troopers that will give them the skill to be identified as “drug recognition experts.” Two hundred officers have now been trained so far and are prepared to recognize symptoms of impairment from a number of drugs.
Some have been critical of the ads referring to them as ?depicting stereotypical dum-dum stoners incompetently bumbling their way through simple daily chores. The naysayers contend the ads will not appeal to the target demographic, but appeal or not the well trained Colorado police assigned to the states highways and byways will be out in force to make sure no one is driving under the influence of loco weed or any other impairing substance.
Edited/Published by: SB
