New Zealand's Helius Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on medical cannabis production and research, has launched a new advertising campaign that boldly states "Cannabis is medicine."
The campaign has been launched nationwide across New Zealand and has received mixed feedback. The licensed medical cannabis company is seeking to "rebrand" cannabis with its giant billboards.
Helius Therapeutics
The new campaign launched today. It features giant billboards with the words "Cannabis is medicine" splashed across them in big bold lettering. It leaves nothing to the imagination.
But the cause is very real. The company is aiming to change cannabis's reputation from black market recreational drug to legitimate medical treatment.
The Government passed The Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill in recent weeks. The new legislation allows those in palliative care or extreme pain to use cannabis legally to ease their discomfort. In passing the bill, the country will create a new medicinal cannabis scheme that allows for New Zealand companies to create medicinal cannabis.
It is off the back of this amendment that Helius Therapeutics feels its campaign is important, as the aim is to make people comfortable with seeing cannabis in the mainstream.
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Helius Therapeutics: The Campaign
The campaign itself features eight real-life Kiwis who either advocate, use, or create medical cannabis. Helius Executive Director Paul Manning says:
"These New Zealanders passionately support medicinal cannabis and each has their own story to tell [...] We want to highlight that it will be mainstream people who will use medicinal cannabis, which will soon become a very mainstream product."
The campaign will start on billboards throughout New Zealand, before shifting to nationwide newspaper ads early next year.
However, the campaign has already drawn complaints to NZ's Advertising Standards Authority. Some fearful members of the public have raised concern over the legality of promoting cannabis and the implication that it could have on children and teenagers.
Featured Image: Depositphotos/© alexraths
