DEA Promotes Anti-Marijuana PSA Contest Inviting Students To Warn Peers About THC Dangers On 4/20

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is teaming up with an anti-marijuana group to promote a public service announcement contest pegged to 4/20, inviting high school students to submit videos about why the use of cannabis “is harmful for the developing brain, mental health, and your life!”

“The contest is an opportunity for high schools to demonstrate how students are working to prevent cannabis misuse at their school and to encourage their peers to abstain,” a notice about the contest organized by Johnny’s Ambassadors says.

As with past PSA initiatives from the group, it made clear that videos submitted for consideration should “NOT IMITATE THE USE OF THC/MARIJUANA OR PARAPHERNALIA OF ANY KIND, EVEN AS A JOKE.”

“Any content which suggests, depicts, imitates, or promotes the possession or consumption of any THC product is prohibited,” it says, adding that, “No swearing or defamatory language allowed.”

In general, the videos for the contest—which opened late last month and closes on April 13—are meant to be educational, aimed at informing fellow students about “why young people shouldn’t use THC products (vapes, dabs, weed, edibles, gummies).” Personal stories about people being impacted by THC use are also welcome.

The group provided samples of the kind of content they’re looking for, including PSAs on “why THC impacts athletic performance on a team,” debunking a “commonly-held but incorrect myth about THC and “startling” statistics about cannabis use.

The first place winner will receive $500, second place gets $250 and third place gets $100. The winners will be announced on Instagram on April 20, the marijuana holiday that the anti-legalization group has designated as “Anti-420 Day.”

DEA is promoting the effort through its Just Think Twice and Get Smart About Drugs projects.

Last year, DEA separately promoted an “Anti-420 Day” campaign that similarly recruited students to send short videos warning their peers about marijuana use.

The agency has developed a reputation for its awkward messaging and educational materials around youth drug use.

For example, in 2023, DEA advised young people that, rather than doing drugs, they should focus on becoming Instagram influencers. The agency promoted tips on how to get a “natural high” as an alternative to drugs, sharing what it said were “7 Better Highs” such as becoming famous on Instagram, playing video games and going to a pet store to look at animals.

DEA is also known for its attempts to decode emojis that it claims are used to buy drugs.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s first pick for attorney general in his second term, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), recent said that he’s been advised that DEA is actively drafting a rule to complete the process of rescheduling marijuana “ASAP.”

It’s been over a month since Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to expeditiously finalize that process of moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Gaetz says he has it on authority that DEA is taking steps to see that through.

However, a Justice Department spokesperson told Marijuana Moment last week that the agency has “no update or comments” on the rescheduling matter.

Largest Entertainment Arena In US Partners With Cannabis Businesses To Sell THC Drinks At Concerts And Live Events

The largest entertainment arena in the U.S. is entering into a historic partnership with two cannabis drink brands, with plans to provide adult guests with a selection of hemp-derived THC beverages to enjoy.

The brands—Señorita and RYTHM—announced the years-long partnership with the United Center in Chicago on Tuesday. Adults 21 and older will have the change to enjoy a variety of THC drinks for live events at the arena, which is home to the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls.

Señorita’s product lineup will include three different flavors of its 5mg hemp-derived THC beverages: Lime Jalapeño Margarita, Mango Margarita and Grapefruit Paloma. RYTHM, for its part, will sell its caffeinated mandarin orange THC drink.

Both Señorita and RYTHM were acquired by the cannabis company Agrify as part of a wide-ranging agreement last year. Agrify, which changed its name to RYTHM, concurrently agreed to license its portfolio of brands to the multi-state cannabis operator Green Thumb Industries (GTI) for manufacturing and distribution.

“This partnership is a major milestone for the city of Chicago, and we are proud to partner with the United Center to offer Illinois’ leading THC beverages,” Ben Kovler, chairman and interim CEO of RYTHM, said in a press release.

“Bringing Señorita and RYTHM to the United Center reflects a simple truth: consumers want non-alcoholic options, and leading venues are responding,” Kovler, who is also chairman and CEO of GTI, said. “The United Center is one of the world’s premier venues and continues to set the standard for live entertainment with the introduction of these modern, responsible options.”

The partnership will kick off on February 4 at a concert featuring New Edition, Boyz II Men and Toni Braxton on February 4.

Joe Myhra, COO of the United Center, said the facility’s leaders are “excited to introduce Señorita and RYTHM to the arena, bringing fans a new way to enjoy their live entertainment experience.”

“As we continue to evolve our offerings for our guests, RYTHM’s Chicago roots made its THC beverages a natural fit for the United Center experience,” he said.

This is one of the latest in a series of business partnerships connecting the hemp industry to key cultural event spaces and organizations.

For example, at the beginning of 2024, the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty entered into partnerships with a CBD beverage company—the first teams in the NBA and WNBA, respectively, to forge deals with the cannabis industry.

The New York-based clubs partnered with Mynd Drinks, a hemp-based CBD sparkling beverage company that also made history in 2023 when it became an official partner of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Chicago Cubs.

A top veterans organization last year entered a first-of-its-kind partnership with a hemp THC beverage company, with a licensing branding deal that will support a variety of veterans services and promote cannabis drinks as a potential alcohol alternative.

A survey released last year found that majority of sports fans across multiple leagues—from NFL to pro tennis and NBA to NASCAR—say it’s acceptable for cannabis companies to sponsor teams.

Meanwhile, last year, the airline Virgin Atlantic denied claims that it was partnering with a cannabis beverage company that went out of its way to convince followers a deal has been reached to provide its THC-infused sodas to adult travelers on select U.S. flights.

Woody Harrelson Got Kicked Out Of Two Bars For Smoking Marijuana With Matthew McConaughey’s Mom

Actor Woody Harrelson apparently got kicked out of two bars for smoking marijuana indoors—with the mother of fellow star Matthew McConaughey.

The two laughed about the shenanigans during a recent podcast appearance with Ted Danson.

While McConaughey has long been associated with cannabis culture in various movie roles such as his character in Dazed and Confused, he has decided to abstain from today’s potent cannabis because it “doesn’t agree” with him—saying he fell out of trees and chipped teeth three times while high and looking at the full moon.

The trio of actors shared anecdotes about their marijuana experiences on an episode of Danson and Harrelson’s podcast “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” that was released last week.

McConaughey disclosed that Harrelson and his mother have “a major crush on each other” and have “been kicked out of two bars for smoking ‘mar-i-ja-wanna,’ as my dad would call it—for smoking joints together—setting off fire alarm in one. The other one was [the staff was] just like, ‘That’s illegal. What the hell y’all doing? Get out of here.’ And they ran.”

“You got away both times, didn’t you?” he asked.

Harrelson confirmed: “Both times we got out of trouble.”

Danson asked McConaughey about his own cannabis consumption, and Harrelson chimed in to say, “You don’t want him smoking.”

To that point, McConaughey agreed that “the new stuff does not agree with my constitution and my mental makeup.”

“It goes the other way. Time speeds up for me,” he said. “I’ve chipped my front tooth three times falling out of a tree on a full moon when I smoked some of that stuff we had.”

For his part, Danson said when he first met his wife, fellow actor Mary Steenburgen, she didn’t use marijuana and so he didn’t either for two or three years. But then on an outing with friends at the hot springs one day, “we went, oh fuck, let’s smoke.”

“We had so much fun together. This is gonna be amazing,” he said. “I smoked, and she said she turned around, and the whole night, I went underwater—held my breath, come up, take a breath and go back down. That was my entire stoned experience.”

“You were a submarine,” Harrelson, who co-owns a marijuana shop The Woods in Los Angeles with comedian Bill Maher, joked.

Last year, Harrelson’s dispensary was burglarized in what appeared to be part of a string of crimes targeting cannabis businesses in the region.

The actor also got involved in marijuana reform advocacy in California, calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to sign a bill legalizing marijuana cafes that passed in 2024. The governor did give the measure final approval that September.

Harrelson separately disclosed in 2017 that used cannabis to help get through a dinner with President Donald Trump.

Image element courtesy of Moody College of Communication.