Marijuana ads on Denver buses protested

DENVER, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Anti-drug organizations in Denver say they are concerned about ads for a marijuana convention appearing on buses in the city.

In a letter to the Regional Transportation District board of directors, the Colorado Drug Investigators Association said it worries the ads promoting the KushCon cannabis convention send the wrong message, The Denver Post reported Monday.

"Advertising a marijuana conference, on the sides of Colorado's main source of public transportation, will do anything but prevent further drug abuse," Jerry Peters, the association's vice president, wrote in asking the RTD to remove the ads.

Daniel Brennan, president of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, said his organization would also be sending a letter to the RTD concerning the ads.

"We're sending mixed messages, I think, to the public and to the youth on this," Brennan said.

An RTD spokesman said the ads would remain although the district asked KushCon to change them to better reflect the fact that they are paid advertisements.

"It's an ad for an event that is being legally held at the Colorado Convention Center," Scott Reed said. "There should be no implication of support or endorsement for that event."

Bob Selan, chief executive of the convention's sponsor Dbdotcom, said the event's purpose is to provide information to medical-marijuana patients and other interested people.

"I think the signs on the buses are pretty harmless," Selan said. "They're saying, 'Have a Kush Day!' They're not saying, 'Go smoke marijuana.'"