Pubdate: Mon, 03 Mar 2014
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2014 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: Donna Goodison

MEDICAL POT SHOP ADS TO HIT MASS.

Massachusetts viewers soon will get a hit of what's expected to be 
the Northeast's first marijuana-related commercial on major networks.

New York-based Medical Cannabis Network has booked April airtime to 
advertise marijuanadoctors.com, which pairs patients with doctors 
who'll evaluate whether medical marijuana should be used as treatment 
for their serious illness or chronic pain, said founder Jason Draizin.

"We consider this alternative medicine and do not condone the 
recreational use or marijuana," he said.

The ad campaign comes as Massachusetts prepares for the opening of 
its first medical marijuana dispensaries this summer.

The company hopes to add to its database of more than 93,000 
patients, 300 doctors and 500 clinics already on the site, according 
to Draizin. Its service allows doctors to "discreetly" build a 
practice that includes medical marijuana prescriptions, which can be 
extremely profitable for them, he said.

The commercial shows a back-alley "dealer" selling the "best sushi" 
from inside his jacket and includes the voiceover: "You wouldn't buy 
your sushi from this guy, so why would you buy your marijuana from him?"

Booked through Comcast Spotlight, it will air after 10 p.m. on 
national cable networks and local cable channels across the state.

The timing will coincide with April 20, also known as "4/20 day" in 
cannabis culture, a day on which smoking pot is celebrated.

While specific networks haven't been set, they're expected to be the 
same used for the commercial's New Jersey launch this weekend. They 
include A&E, Bravo, CNBC, CNN, Discovery, ESPN, Fox News, History 
Channel, MTV and USA. State Department of Public Health regulations 
only cover marketing and advertising by registered medical marijuana 
dispensaries. "The regulations require that a certifying physician 
may issue a written certification only for a qualifying patient with 
whom the physician has a bona fide physician-patient relationship," 
spokeswoman Anne Roach said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom