The UN wants to ban cannabis advertising

The United Nations, in its last report, and the decline in young people’s awareness of the dangers of cannabis. To find a solution, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime proposes banning cannabis advertising. According to the office, these ads are «aggressive,», and might even «make the problem worse.».

« A ban overall of the publicity, the promotion and sponsorship of cannabis would make it possible to ensure that the interests health publithan on thees interests salespeople. This ban should apply in all »countries and territories,", the authors ask. In their view, a ban on cannabis advertising would work in the same way as the « provisions of the Agreement-frame of the’The World Health Organization (WHO) for tobacco control.».

To justify this position, the UN agency based in Vienna, Austria, states that «lthe percentage teenage girls and d’adolescents who use cannabis’ The number of people considered dangerous has decreased by no less than 40 % between 2002 and 2019, as confirmed by surveys conducted among’schoolchildren and young adults in the United States-In the United States and Europe».

Uruguay has already banned all advertising

The UN does not have the authority to force member states to stop advertising. But it has a powerful voice, and it intends to use it. «In my view, this is the first time the UN has taken steps toward regulation, rather than simply describing or condemning the phenomenon.". »It's a real turning point.", says Steve Rolles, an analyst at the Foundation for the Transformation of Public Drug Policy, cited in Marijuana Moment.

That said, cannabis advertising isn't a free-for-all. In many states that have legalized cannabis, there are «a certain degree of supervision», the report notes. For example, in California, advertisements cannot highlight «positive health effects.». Therefore, it can only be directed at people over the age of 21. In Washington State, advertisements may not feature cartoon characters or other images popular with children.

Others, such as Uruguay, have simply banned cannabis advertising. The UN would like other countries to follow the example of the the first country in the world to legalize cannabis, starting in 2013. In this Latin American country, there was even a government campaign broadcast on television to prevent problematic cannabis use.