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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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US: Facebook protest forces removal of Portland anti-marijuana billboard Deborah Morgan The Examiner Thursday 11 Oct 2012 The photo paints a bleak picture, at best, pointing out the potential horror of using marijuana. The problem seems to be the authenticity of the photograph, which has been discovered to be a manipulated stock photograph of a meth addict. Bettie Retro works at a medical marijuana patients' lounge in downtown Portland. A co-worker saw the billboard on his way into work and shared it with his colleagues. According to Retro, several of these billboards have popped up in the Portland area, a city which hosts nearly 10,000 registered medical marijuana patients. And these patients and their advocates are not amused. A Facebook page has been launched called "Protest the Billboard at 122 & Division!" and people around the world have taken notice. The group, headed by Retro, Gdcc Mmj, and Cyn Sativa, have managed in a short time to arrange a telephone protest to Clear Channel, the billboard company hosting the controversial ad. Examiner.com had the opportunity to ask Bettie Retro about her involvement in the protest. "I have considered myself a medical marijuana supporter for a long time... but it wasn't until about a year and a half ago when I heard about Cash Hyde beating a Stage 4 brain tumor using Cannabis Oil that I decided to get involved. I had recently given birth to my own first child and when I realized there was a simple, safe, NATURAL cure to most of mankind's ailments, I was compelled to fight for everyone's right to safe access to the medicine that can save our loved ones," Retro said. When asked what steps protesters have taken to combat the controversial billboard, she said they had contacted Protectoursociety.org, the company that paid for the billboard who so far has not responded. Their website appears to be full of dead links to back up their claims. Retro added, "We then addressed the company who owns the billboard and allowed this message to be posted. Clear Channel, the billboard company, initially was dismissive about it, telling us that we could buy our own billboard and retaliate. We kept calling and soon their tune changed. They have now assured us that they will not be posting anymore of these billboards and have contacted the organization who funded them about the issue. They have apologized but the billboards are still up." ********************** As the author of this article was composing the piece, an update on the Facebook page was enthusiastically given by Leslie Frostig Miller, an Oregon medical marijuana patient who was a pivotal part of the protest: "SUCCESS!!!!! Arlene from Clear Channel called back. They asked the parent company to please release a number for us to call and they refused so Clear Channel is removing the billboards! They will be down before end of day tomorrow! I quote from Clear Channel representative Arlene 'education[s] is one thing, misinformation is another and we won't be part of that.'" Examiner.com will be following up to ensure the billboards were removed. Proving once again the power of Facebook and good old fashioned citizen involvement, this little protest of enraged and embattled marijuana activists have stood up against hate speech and discrimination, refusing to be type cast as worthless addicts. Ain't freedom grand? http://www.examiner.com/article/facebook-protest-forces-removal-of-portland-anti-marijuana-billboard
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