“While the enabling legislation stipulates the Commission provide information to the public about safe and responsible cannabis consumption, we see safety and harm reduction messaging as more than legal obligation,” said NJ-CRC executive director, Jeff Brown. “Safety is one of the values – with equity – that we have embraced as part of our mission and duty to the public.”
The campaign, produced with the marketing firm Princeton Partners, is broad in its reach and its focus. The ads include messages to teenagers, parents of young children, seniors, drivers, and those pregnant and nursing; as well as reminders to cannabis consumers to buy from legal dispensaries where they can be assured of safety, and to store their cannabis and cannabis products properly to avoid accidental ingestion.
Commissioner Krista Nash, who co-chairs the Commission’s Public Engagement and Education Committee, said she was pleased to see the campaign ready to be launched across the state.
In her remarks she said, “Our top priority is the safety, health, and well-being of all New Jerseyans – whether they are cannabis consumers or not. Launching this campaign demonstrates New Jersey’s dedication to responsible legalization, emphasizing safe use among adults, while protecting our youth and vulnerable populations.”
The outdoor portion of campaign will utilize digital billboards along New Jersey’s major roadways, and includes posters in beauty salons and barber shops across the state for localized awareness. Streaming service ads will invite interaction with viewers for maximum exposure and some of the campaign’s internet ads will measure public learning over the life of the campaign.
Dr. Dianne Calello, executive medical director at the New Jersey Poison Control Center, also spoke at the press conference.
“We commend the NJ-CRC’s commitment to ensuring that cannabis users in New Jersey are educated and informed,” Calello said. “The majority of child-related exposures are attributable to edible products left out in the open or stored in easily accessible places, and many are illegal candy lookalikes. Thanks to strict regulations on packaging and sales, legal products in New Jersey are safer, but no package is completely child-proof so I appreciate this campaign’s driving home the message that safe storage is key.”
Scott Rudder, president of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, voiced zealous support for the agency’s campaign. “The launch of the safe-use campaign by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission sets an example for the nation as we navigate the evolving landscape of cannabis legalization. The NJCBA is wholeheartedly committed to this mission and looks forward to working closely with the Commission and other stakeholders to ensure its success.”
Other speakers at the event included Helen Hannigan, CEO at Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative and Lauren Paterno, senior government affairs advisor at AAA Northeast.
A recording of the press conference is available here and a press kit with campaign art is available here.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission establishes and enforces the rules and regulations governing the licensing, cultivation, testing, selling, and purchasing of cannabis in the state.
Contact: Toni-Anne Blake
Email: [email protected]
Media Contact
Toni-Anne Blake, New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission , 1 609-376-7300, [email protected], https://www.nj.gov/cannabis/adult-personal/safe-responsible-consumption/
SOURCE New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission
