At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements. 😉
You may have heard that marijuana is now legal in the state of California. It's something I was peripherally aware of, but I didn't think much of it. And then, on January 2nd, I heard my first "don't drive high" commercial.
My reaction involved a bit of eye rolling.
(I was going to link to the commercial, but I can't find it online. It's pretty typical for the genre.)
But that got me to thinking...
What if a previously illegal activity was decriminalized in your state (like prostitution, marijuana, or similar)? What sort of new commericals might you see?
Note: I'm drawing the line at violent crimes like robbery and murder. While that might make for an interesting "what if" for a later date, I intend for this question to steer clear of those thorny issues.
Well, like Calif we would probably have a lame commercial like that one you saw! haha....We have the traffic signs that go over the interstate and I can just see that one going across as I drive under it!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a bad commercial. I was reacting to the need for such a commercial in the first place. Because people, apparently, need to be told these things.
DeleteOh, wow! I never thought of new commercials. I would probably roll my eyes, too, based on what I can imagine.
ReplyDeleteYour caveat (of which I approve) reminds me of what Styxhexenhammer666 said on Youtube yesterday. He remarked on how people are being censored and even threatened with prosecution for offending someone (example: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jewish-leader-s-anger-over-pug-taught-to-do-nazi-salute-gs356bpf8) while some cultures flat-out excuse violent civilian actions. Folks need to get some perspective and work on what's important.
Meanwhile, I'm all for legalization of marijuana and other substances less harmful than alcohol (my own drug of choice, I might add) so we can focus on putting real criminals in jail while getting proper help for true addicts. ~steps off soapbox shaking head~ Didn't mean to go on like that. ~grin~ Be well!
It's a fine line to walk, really.
DeleteGeez, I haven't seen a commercial in years. And boy am I glad about that. PSAs are the worst.
ReplyDeleteNone for me since I don't have TV, I just do Netflix :D
ReplyDeleteI even heard this one on the radio. But that can be avoided as well.
DeleteThat commercial needs to be followed by the smoking one where they line up the body bags.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the ad online (if it's the one the Sacramento Bee had on their website). I would object to it just for the simple reason that most of the ad was along the lines of "pot is great/it makes me normal!" and the last few seconds was "but I don't drive high". So, if the first few seconds of an alcohol ad was "oh, getting drunk is amazing! It makes me feel normal" and then "but I don't drive buzzed", I'd feel the same way about that. So anyway....medical marijuana is legal in New York State - sort of. You need a special card,and the product is infused, not smoke able. I haven't seen a commercial for NY medical marijuana. Heck, our local dispensary doesn't even have a sign indicating what you can get inside! (Sssshhh!) Now, if prostitution was legalized - I could see commercials for it along the lines of Cialis and the two bathtubs - something I am still trying to figure out. (No help on that, please.) Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThat's the commercial.
DeleteWhen California was just doing medical, it was similar to New York.
A defense lawyer buddy of mine who has experience with DUI cases told me that he'll likely be representing the DUI equivalent for those who'll be pulled over 'driving while high'. -thing is there is no breathalyzer equivalent for pot at present. It's going to be a tricky thing to prove, to a degree.
ReplyDeleteSince DUI stands for "driving under the influence", I think it'll be the same terminology. But good point. How are they going to test for it? I'm sure someone will come up with something.
DeleteWell, since I live in Canada and it will be legal by July, I have seen different commercials for sure and most are about being careful about taking it. I see quite a few ads concerning driving and that is a good thing. I’m glad they are legalizing it and I find that it really helps my pain...more than anything else. Now it is so professional and I take an oil. I take about 2 mg of the CBD which is the non High one I take 3x a day and the THC once a day. I think there will be more ads at how beneficial it is health wise
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad it helps your pain. I didn't know it was going to be legal in Canada this year. Thanks for the info.
DeleteIt's funny because I remember when accountants, dentists, doctors and lawyers weren't allowed to advertise in Australia!
ReplyDeleteI remember when lawyers first started advertising here as well. Simpler times ;)
DeleteIt's to be expected, really. People are stupid. Impaired people are even more idiotic. Factor in that many who use it don't believe it impairs them in any way and yeah the commercials are to be expected even if they don't do any good.
ReplyDelete