Denver Bans All Outdoor Medical Marijuana Advertising

DENVER (CBS4)- Residents and visitors to Denver soon won't be seeing any outdoor advertising for medical marijuana businesses.

The city council voted on Monday to ban those ads within city limits.

While those outdoor advertising mediums including spinners, sidewalk flippers and billboards, will be off limits other advertising will remain legal such as ads featured in magazines.

The Medical Marijuana Industry Group supports the ban. They said it addresses community concerns that the advertising tends to slap people in the face but still allows medical marijuana businesses to keep operating.

Medical Marijuana Industry Group Executive Director Michael Elliott said the goal of the advertising ban is to prevent illegal substances from being promoted to the general public.

"It is just two percent of Colorado citizens who have medical marijuana cards. Is it really appropriate for the businesses to be targeting everybody? In this case I think we decided no," said Elliott.

Attorney and medical marijuana advocate Robert Corry said some of his clients plan to challenge the ban.

He believes that once again, medical marijuana is being treated like a second class citizen.

"They'll take our tax dollars, let us hire people and pay for licensing fees but won't let us be open about what we are doing," said Corry.

Corry is concerned some of these businesses won't survive the ban because they rely so heavily on street signage.

Under the ordinance, medical marijuana businesses will still be allowed to advertise in newspapers, magazines, radio and online. They also will be allowed to advertise on their storefronts.

The ordinance is awaiting a signature from Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.