Update: The ad has been pulled, USA Today reports.
2013 Brickyard 400: Pro-marijuana ad to run outside of Indianapolis track
NASCAR fans will be greeted by a video advocating the legalization of marijuana as they walk into Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend.
Original: NASCAR has undertaken a green initiative in an effort to make the sport more eco-friendly in recent years. “Being green,” however, could easily refer to something else entirely this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A giant video screen just outside of the entrance to the 2.5-mile track will play the ad posted below, advocating the legalization of marijuana. The video, purchased by the Marijuana Policy Project -- the nation’s largest pro-marijuana legalization advocacy group -- states that marijuana is “less harmful than alcohol” along with having “no calories” and contributing to “no hangovers.”
The ad is scheduled to run 72 times over the weekend, according to the USA Today, and will cost the non-profit group $2,200.
But why promote the legalization of marijuana at a NASCAR race?
“We wanted to reach out to an audience that clearly appreciates that adults should be able to use beer and alcohol responsibly,” a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project told USA Today. Because the video screen is not on IMS property, there is nothing either track officials or NASCAR can do to prevent the spot from running.
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