| Dain Helmers |
| What the hell strain has SHE been smoking? |
An Oregon anti-legalization billboard depicting a haggard, stereotypical “drug addict” which reads “What is good about marijuana? Nothing,” may be coming down after protesters organized on Facebook and vented their unhappiness to both the anti-drug group responsible for the message and the billboard company renting them the space for their reefer madness propaganda.
The billboard in question, at the corner of 122nd and Division in Portland, which is in opposition to Measure 80, the voter initiative which will be on November’s general election ballot and would legalize cannabis in Oregon, features what has been discovered to be a manipulated stock photo of a “meth addict,” reports Deborah Morgan at examiner.com.
Several of these billboards have been spotted in the Portland area, according to Bettie Retro, who works at a medical marijuana patients’ lounge downtown. Retro said a coworker saw the billboard at 122nd and Division on his way to work, and shared the story with his colleagues. Portland is home to almost 10,000 registered, legal medical marijuana patients.
| Bettie Retro |
| Bettie Retro: “We kept calling and soon their tune changed” |
The patients and their advocates are not amused by the billboards; they launched a Facebook event called “Protest the Billboard at 122nd & Division!” and plenty of people took notice. The page, administered by Retro and two other Facebookers, Cyn Sativa and Gdcc Mmj, put together a telephone protest to Clear Channel, the billboard company hosting the ad.
“I have considered myself a medical marijuana supporter for a long time … but it wasn’t until about a year and a half ago when I heard about Cash Hyde beating a Stage 4 brain tumor using cannabis oil that I decided to get involved,” Retro told examiner.com. “I had recently given birth to my own first child and when I realized there was a simple, safe, natural cure to most of mankind’s ailments, I was compelled to fight for everyone’s right to safe access to the medicine that can save our loved ones.”
The protesters initially contacted Protectoursociety.org, “a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to providing information about the harmful effects of marijuana,” which paid for the billboard, but got no response from the morons.
“We then addressed the compay who owns the billboard and allowed this message to be posted,” Retro said. “Clear Channel, the billboard company, initially was dismissive about it, telling us thaat we could buy our own billboard and retaliate.
“We kept calling and soon their tune changed,” Retro said. “They have now assured us that they will not be posting any more of these billboards and have contacted the organization who funded them about the issue. They have apologized but the billboards are still up.”
“SUCCESS!!!!!” posted Leslie Miller, an Oregon patient who was involved in the protest. “Arlene from Clear Channel called back. They asked the parent company to please release a number for us to call and the refused so Clear Channel is removing the billboards! They will be down before end of day tomorrow! I quote from Clear Channel representative Arlene, ‘Education is one thing; misinformation is another and we won’t be part of that.’ “
Will the billboards actually come down? Stay tuned.