The First Cannabis Drink Commercial Was Made By a Portland Director

This Northwest-made ad is trying to re-brand the stoner stereotype.

By Russell Hausfeld

Portland-based director James Westby (The Auteur, Film Geek) and a cannabis company out of Longview, Washington, Mirth Provisions, released the first professionally-produced cannabis drink commercial today. It's selling "Legal," a cannabis-infused drink from the company's line of smokeless products, like soda and sublingual sprays.

The commercial, which falls somewhere between a Grocery Outlet radio ad and an SNL sketch, includes an original song that explains the flavors and effects of Legal.

Mirth is hoping to spearhead the next wave of cannabis advertising by displaying weed products as classy, as opposed to leaning on the overused "stoner" tropes.

The commercial will "continue to lift the stigma" and "make cannabis more approachable," according to the company's press release, in addition to making it money.

Cannabis commercials aren't new. MarijuanaDoctors.com was the first company to air a marijuana commercial on national TV. Last year, a marijuana commercial set to air on a Denver TV station got pulled just before airing,

Anti-marijuana commercials, on the other hand, have been around for much longer.

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