Pro-Pot Milestone: Ad Appears at Big Sports Event

USA Today takes note of a first for the pro-marijuana movement: A video extolling the benefits of pot will appear near the gate of a major sports event, in this case NASCAR's Brickyard 400. The ad, by the Marijuana Policy Project, will play on a video screen dozens of times outside the Indianapolis track over the weekend. NASCAR itself has nothing to do with the ad, and NASCAR sponsors Miller Lite and Royal Whisky probably won't be thrilled, notes the newspaper.

That's because the short video makes the case that marijuana is better than beer and other types of alcohol in all kinds of ways—no hangovers, no calories, and "it's not linked to violence or reckless behavior." The tagline is "Less harmful than alcohol, and time to treat it that way." NASCAR can't do much about it, because the company selling the ad space is set up on property not owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (More Marijuana Policy Project stories.)