Marijuana Advocacy Group Posts Billboard Ad Across From Denver Football Stadium

A marijuana advocacy group has posted a billboard ad across from Denver’s football stadium, USA Today reports. The Marijuana Policy Project’s ad urges the National Football League (NFL) to “Stop Driving Players to Drink.” Referring to Colorado’s new marijuana legalization law, the ad notes, “A safer choice is now legal (here).”

The billboard, which measures 48 feet by 14 feet, contains a picture of a football leaning against a foaming glass of beer. It was posted Wednesday in front of Sports Authority Field at Mile High, a day before the Denver Broncos hosted the first NFL regular season game of the year.

The advocacy group also launched a petition drive to urge NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to change the league’s marijuana policy.

“For years, the NFL has been punishing players for using marijuana despite the fact that it is far less harmful than alcohol, a substance widely embraced by the league,” Mason Tvert, Director of Communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement. “The league would never punish a player simply for having a couple beers, so why does it penalize them for using a substance that is less toxic, less addictive, and less likely to contribute to violence?”

This summer, the group posted a pro-marijuana video ad outside an entrance to a NASCAR event at the Indiana Motor Speedway. It was pulled several hours after it began running.