New York bans advertising cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms on public transport

By Nina Zdinjak

As New York continues to update its cannabis-related rules and regulations, a strange one seemed to slip into the books on Wednesday when the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) banned all cannabis and psychedelic mushroom ads on subways, buses and trains, Marijuana reported Moment.

The advertising guidelines update comes after the MTA reaches a settlement on a case related to the sex wellness brand Dame that has been ongoing for the past three years. In this case, women are allowed to advertise under certain restrictions, but the MTA has decided that weed and psychedelics are taboo.

Photo by Joshua Woroniecki at Pexels

“The revised policy includes certain provisions that were part of previous policies (with some changes) and adds new restrictions due to changed circumstances,” said the MTA. “For example, the revised advertising policy specifically bans the advertising of cannabis products after recreational use of such products was decriminalized in New York State.”

(Un) necessary policy update?

“MTA will not accept advertising for display in or on the property if it falls into one or more of the following prohibited advertising categories …

16. Advertising tobacco, nicotine or other tobacco-related or nicotine-related products; any alcohol product; Cannabis or a product related to cannabis; or hallucinogenic mushrooms or hallucinogenic mushroom-like product. “

The Big Apple never liked smoking – or so it seems

New York City has some of the strictest anti-smoking laws in the country. The Smoke Open Air Act has been in force since 2003. Current legislation has since banned smoking in all workplaces, bars, small restaurants and most outdoor areas. In fact, you would hardly meet anyone in the Big Apple who smokes on the street.

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However, this policy update on cannabis advertising is a bit confusing considering that current marijuana law already bans cannabis advertising “on public transport and train stations”. Psilocybin mushrooms and other psychedelics are still illegal in the state and under federal law. Hence, one can wonder if it was a necessary update.

Photo by Robert Bye via Unsplash

Among other policy changes and updates confirmed since New York state legalization went into effect in March, one of the most important was the update to the employee cannabis testing policy. In October, New York became the first state in the Union to ban employers from testing most employees for cannabis.

RELATED: Cannabis and Sex: Two Things Social Media Shouldn’t See

Recently, the state cannabis board made it illegal to give marijuana away and banned delta-8 THC products while allowing the sale of hemp flowers.

Additionally, New York Senator Jeremy Cooney (D) only proposed a bill this week that would allow transgender and non-binary people to qualify as social justice applicants under the state’s cannabis law.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.