The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has turned down a pro-marijuana group’s application to adopt a highway, possibly indicating that future medical cannabis licensees in the state will also be prohibited from advertising in the same way.
The agency told the Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival that it won’t be allowed to adopt a highway “because cannabis is illegal,” Pennlive.com reported. That was after two other initial reasons that the department gave, including that the festival supported adult-use marijuana and – initially – because it wasn’t a business (though it registered as a limited liability corporation).
The spokesman said he wasn’t aware of any other marijuana-related applications to adopt roadways.
In other states, however, it’s become fairly common for marijuana companies to adopt highways in exchange for the publicity they receive from roadside signs thanking them for their charity. That stems in large part from the relatively few advertising options open to cannabis firms.
