$800,000 in Nevada ads planned for legalized recreational marijuana measure
August 13, 2016 - 8:50 pm

The state agency regulating Nevada’s medical marijuana dispensary program is notifying applicants about whether they have won provisional licensing. (Las Vegas Review-Journal file)

Jacob Silverstein, marketing director with Las Vegas ReLeaf, speaks with a reporter at the dispensary during a walking tour of various medical marijuana dispensaries in Las Vegas' "Green District" Wednesday, April 20, 2016. (Jason Ogulnik/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Vegas Cannabis Magazine, left, and Elevate magazine are shown Tuesday, April 21, 2015. Elevate, a new monthly magazine, hopes to help remove the stigma and make people take medical marijuana more seriously. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Vicky Sprano of Green Light Productions, poses to show her marijuana-themed pants at Sahara Wellness during a walking tour of various medical marijuana dispensaries in Las Vegas' "Green District" Wednesday, April 20, 2016. Jason Ogulnik/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Marijuana samples are displayed at Las Vegas ReLeaf during a walking tour of various medical marijuana dispensaries in Las Vegas' "Green District" Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The walking tour, hosted by the Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association, stopped at three dispensaries near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. Jason Ogulnik/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Smoking accessories are displayed at Las Vegas ReLeaf during a walking tour of various medical marijuana dispensaries in Las Vegas' "Green District" Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The walking tour, hosted by the Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association, stopped at three dispensaries near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. Jason Ogulnik/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Kenneth Yockey, dispensary agent with Las Vegas ReLeaf, shows marijuana samples during a walking tour of various medical marijuana dispensaries in Las Vegas' "Green District" Wednesday, April 20, 2016. Jason Ogulnik/Las Vegas Review-Journal

A marijuana-themed cookbook is seen in the lobby of Las Vegas ReLeaf during a walking tour of various medical marijuana dispensaries in Las Vegas' "Green District" Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The walking tour, hosted by the Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association, stopped at three dispensaries near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. Jason Ogulnik/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Gareth Nelson, general operations manager for Waveseer LLC, a marijuana cultivation and production company, leads a tour of the facilities at the Apex Industrial Park in North Las Vegas Monday, March 21, 2016. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae

A room of marijauna plantsat the Waveseer LLC marijuana facility in North Las Vegas' Apex Industrial Park Monday, March 21, 2016. ()Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow @rookie__rae

Don’t be surprised to see a slew of television ads touting a measure to legalize recreational marijuana use during the weeks leading up to the general election in November.
A local political action committee, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, reserved more than $800,000 worth of advertising time slots across the major news stations in Las Vegas, according to recent Federal Communications Commission filings.
The ads are scheduled to start in early October and run until Election Day on Nov. 8 when Nevadans will vote on Question 2, which will decide whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults in the state.
The content of the ads hasn’t been finalized, according to coalition spokesman Joe Brezny.
With three months until Election Day, proponents of legalization indicate momentum is on their side.
The group raised $285,000 this year as of the last reporting deadline on June 11. The group raised $125,000 for the effort in 2015. Most of the funding has come from Nevada marijuana companies like The Grove Wellness Center, The Source, Silver State Relief and the Nevada Dispensary Association. Other big contributions have come from individuals such as casino developer Gary Primm and his son Roger Primm. Each has given $25,000 to the group this year.
Last month, a KTNV-TV Channel 13/Rasmussen Reports poll of 750 likely Nevada voters found that 50 percent supported the legalization effort, 41 percent opposed, and 9 percent were undecided.
Brezny said both the funding and the poll signal a shift in the public’s view on marijuana.
“Marijuana prohibition has been a failure and people see that there is a better way to go about this,” Brezny said.
Groups formed to oppose the bill, such as the Coalition Against Legalizing Marijuana, have not reported any contributions this year. The next reporting deadline for local PACs is Oct. 18.
A political nonprofit organization, Nevadans for Responsible Drug Policy, is also in the mix opposing Question 2, but is not required to disclose its donors and has aired no ads.
Assemblyman Pat Hickey, R-Reno, co-chairman of Nevadans for Responsible Drug Policy, said Friday that he also found the poll numbers encouraging. According to Hickey, the nonprofit group conducted its own poll in April that showed that 57 percent of voters supported the measure.
Seeing that number drop to 50 percent in the Rasmussen poll indicates that Nevadans are becoming increasingly worried about the measure, Hickey added.
Hickey expects to see several business sectors, especially Nevada’s gaming industry, begin airing their own opposition ads to the measure.
Contact reporter Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.