MADISON: I wrote an article back in August of 2010, “Ten things that would be different had Wisconsin passed a medical marijuana law,” highlighting opportunities and benefits that Wisconsin was missing out on because of the failure of state lawmakers to pass the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act (JRMMA) during the 2009-2010 legislative session.

Number Six on the list was “Print and other media ad revenues up.” Anna Rendall explored enhanced advertising revenue from the medical cannabis industry in an article from the SF Public Press: “With few restrictions and bundles of cash, cannabis ads help sagging media profits” (Jan 17 2011).

The article indicates that medical cannabis industry advertising has been a boon for media companies unfazed by any remaining controversy.

Medical marijuana advertising is taking off, propping up the fortunes of ailing media companies that have seen income from other business sectors plummet in the recession.

Advertisements offering free edibles for new patients and products such as “super silver haze” are helping to keep the San Francisco Bay Guardian, SF Weekly and East Bay Express in business. Similar ads have even started cropping up – tentatively – in more staid publications, such as the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ads for pot are growing so fast in part because they face fewer regulations and restrictions than marketing materials for cigarettes and alcohol. The only real regulation is one requiring the ads to warn customers that they need a doctor’s recommendation.

“Marijuana advertising is a small percentage of our total advertising – we wish that we had more,” said Mina Bajraktarevic, advertising sales manager at the Bay Guardian, whose back page has become a wall of green with medical marijuana advertising. — SF Public Press, “With few restrictions and bundles of cash, cannabis ads help sagging media profits” (Jan 17 2011).