Press Release: New Radio PSAs Tackle Marijuana Controversies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
JULY 31, 2008

New Radio PSAs Tackle Marijuana Controversies

CONTACT: Bruce Mirken, MPP director of communications ............... 415-668-6403 or 202-215-4205

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A series of new radio public service announcements being distributed today to stations nationwide seeks to educate the public about the effects of U.S. marijuana laws, and about recent developments regarding medical marijuana. The new spots, produced by the Marijuana Policy Project Foundation, feature Gary Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico, and California Superior Court Judge Jim Gray.

    To listen to the new PSAs, go to http://www.mpp.org/media/radio-public-service-announcements.html.

    The PSAs, which come in both 30- and 60-second versions, focus on little-known facts rarely reported in the news media. Johnson, whose state is the latest to pass a medical marijuana law, discusses the steady stream of studies finding that marijuana has medical benefits for certain illnesses and symptoms, and the acknowledgment of those benefits by groups like the American College of Physicians. Judge Gray focuses on the little-reported failures of marijuana prohibition, asking listeners, "Did you know that since the federal government first banned marijuana in 1937, usage in this country has actually gone up by 4,000 percent?"

    The new spots follow a previous set of MPP Foundation radio PSAs released in 2005, featuring TV talk show host Montel Williams, author Tom Robbins, and U.S. Supreme Court medical marijuana plaintiff Angel Raich. That series of spots received over 11,000 plays on stations in all parts of the country, including seven of the top 10 markets.

    With more than 25,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org.