New industry-baked marijuana PSAs advise moderation

DENVER, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A new billboard in Colorado tells viewers: "Don't let a candy bar ruin your vacation." The public service announcement isn't referring to a Snickers or Butterfinger; it's referencing pot-laced candy bars.

After the death of two adults were linked to pot-laced food, often referred to as "edibles," the marijuana industry is looking to combat the public relations backlash with a message of moderation. Low and slow is the gist of the new campaign by the Marijuana Policy Project, a lobbying group that receives support from companies in the burgeoning marijuana industry.

The group, which funded the newly unveiled billboard in Colorado, is planning more ads -- all of which will riff on the same theme of "go slow when consuming edible marijuana products." The effort is reminiscent of the alcohol industry's long-running "Drink Responsibly" campaign.

"Honest and effective marijuana education is long overdue," Vince Mehdizadeh, founder and senior strategist at Medbox, Inc., a company that makes pot vending machines, told TIME. "We are proud to support this historic campaign and hope other businesses and organizations will join us in spreading its important message."