What were they smoking? A hot California cannabis company says it tried to buy air-time on the Oscars for $2 million to debut an ad starring former Disney star Bella Thorne, but that it was rejected by ABC.
The spot for Lowell Herb Co. shows family farmers artisanally tending to sustainable pot practices in verdant fields, before Thorne indulges in the finished product with some hipster pals at a party. The company says the ad is a “celebration of California legalization,” and Thorne told us, “It’s a shame that, that message won’t be televised… for now.”
Headed by CEO David Elias, Lowell said it was rejected from buying a local as well as a national ad.
But it’s unclear if such ads can even air on TV — including in California. A different cannabis brand attempted to buy air-time for a Super Bowl this month, and was rejected by CBS, which said it doesn’t accept cannabis ads. Vox reported, “Cannabis is still categorized as a Schedule 1 drug on the federal level, so its legal status is continually subjected to obstacles.” For example, Maryland has passed a law banning any ads, while California is covered in cannabis billboards.
ABC and the awards didn’t get back to us.