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‘Marijuana is not Harmless’ campaign launched in Weld County

Colorado marijuana
Posted at 1:48 PM, Dec 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-28 15:59:46-05

GREELEY (AP) — County officials in Colorado have launched a $20,000 campaign to highlight the consequences of marijuana use after it was declassified as an illegal drug and now available for sale.

The public service announcement launched Thursday says “Marijuana is not Harmless,” the Greeley Tribune reports.

Weld County Health and Environment Department officials want to raise awareness about the issues and drawbacks of marijuana, county officials said.

The slogan will be featured on 12 billboards posted by the middle of January mainly along U.S. Route 85, county officials said.

The department got started on the first of an initial six billboards Thursday, officials said.

An increasing number of youth use marijuana and there are multiple traffic crash-related deaths related to its usage, department officials said. A report shows every three days a resident dies in a marijuana-related traffic crash, officials said.

Use of the drug could be tied to decreased satisfaction of life, poorer physical health and more mental health issues in heavy users, county officials said.