Pot shops turn to highway sponsor signs amid strict ad rules

DENVER (The Denver Post) — Cannabis companies are using a loophole in Colorado's strict limits on marijuana advertising by sponsoring state highways and putting their names on roadside signs.

The Denver Post reports 51 cannabis dispensaries, cultivators, manufacturers and edible producers currently sponsor roadways throughout the state.

Although they represent less than half of all organizations that participate in the Clean Colorado program, their reach spans about 198 miles, or 66%, of the roads actively sponsored.

Colorado Department of Transportation officials say the signs are not intended to be an advertising medium, but they have become a clever workaround for an industry with few other options.