As if New York’s rollout of authorized hashish weren’t already a joke, right here comes a state “purchase authorized” advert marketing campaign.
This is the reply to the plague of unlawful pot retailers?
On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced that the Workplace of Hashish Administration is rolling out the “Why Purchase Authorized New York” marketing campaign in a bid to get stoners to patronize solely licensed marijuana distributors.
And by no means thoughts that solely eight authorized retailers have opened statewide.
The adverts’ promoting factors are unhappy, too: Who’s going to fret about “selling social fairness and group reinvestment” after they simply wish to get excessive?
And who’ll watch, let alongside imagine, movies the place “licensed hashish processors” clarify that their product is “safer”?
Particularly when it possible prices extra, since authorized retailers should pay charges and taxes because the state tries to gather $1.25 billion in income from authorized weed.
One downside is that state regulation solely permits for $250 fines on unlawful retailers, which they settle for as the value of doing enterprise as closed shops instantly re-open.
The plain reply is nonstop enforcement on the rogue retailers: Ship inspection groups to close them down and confiscate their shares every single day.
Choosing an advert marketing campaign as an alternative is simply an admission of helplessness.
