The first TV ad from the campaign in support of the initiative to regulate marijuana, titled "Dear Mom," was released just in time for Mother's Day weekend.

The ad, which was aired during NBC's "Today Show," "Ellen," and "The Doctors," features a young women composing a letter to her mother, explaining how she used to drink a lot in college, but as an adult she now prefers marijuana. She mentions that marijuana is less harmful to her body than alcohol and that she feels more comfortable around marijuana users.

The ad ends with the young woman suggesting that she and her mother talk about the issue. The campaign has featured the ad as part of it's Talk It Up project, which encourages supporters to start conversations about marijuana with family and friends to make sure they understand the fact that marijuana is safer than alcohol. You can do just that by visiting their action page, where you can share the video via Facebook, Twitter, and email.

"This is the question we want individuals opposed to changing marijuana laws to consider. For far too long, society has looked down upon marijuana users. Despite the fact that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, a significant segment of the population illogically considers the adult use of alcohol acceptable and the adult use of marijuana irresponsible. [SAFER emphasis added]"

The billboard also marked the beginning of a grassroots public education effort that also involves the distribution of flyers that convey a similar message and provide facts about the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol.

The release of the billboard generated a great deal of news interest, generating coverage by The Raw Story, the Denver Post, and a number of other media outlets.

The campaign is encouraging supporters of marijuana reform nationwide to share the billboard with friends and family as a way to start a conversation about marijuana.

Evangelist and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson came out in support regulating marijuana like alcohol. In particular, he highlighted the notion that if an adult can use alcohol, they should be allowed to use marijuana. 

In a piece published yesterday by The New York Times, Robertson was quoted as saying:

"If people can go into a liquor store and buy a bottle of alcohol and drink it at home legally, then why do we say that the use of this other substance is somehow criminal?"

...

“I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” Mr. Robertson said in an interview on Wednesday. “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded."

Robertson also expressed support for the initiative on the November ballot in Colorado that would regulate marijuana like alcohol.

For his part, Mr. Robertson said that he “absolutely” supported the ballot measures, though he would not campaign for them. “I’m not a crusader,” he said.

Kudos to Robertson for voicing his powerful opinion on this issue. The evangelical community has not traditionally been overly supportive of this issue, so perhaps with leadership of Mr. Robertson our message will begin to make more headway into that community.

Read more about the endorsement – and find a downloadable handout featuring the New York Times article – on the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol website.