14 DAY TRIAL // President Barack Obama continues to take serious fire for his smoking in the media and with many anti-groups, but there is one particular group that seems bent on turning that into something good. A poster with the President lighting up a joint, announcing an upcoming “ganja gala” has emerged online, though no one at the White House would even dream of allowing it, TMZ informs.
The poster shows the President standing next to a guy who kindly offers to light him the giant joint he has in his mouth and that, obviously, has been Photoshopped on the picture. Not only is the use of the President’s image for promotional purposes prohibited, but it’s also illegal to employ it without prior consent, especially when it ends up by showing veiled support to light drug use, even if for medicinal purposes.
“President Barack Obama is now the poster child for an upcoming pot party celebrating his first year in office – only problem, no one asked his high-ness for permission before Photoshopping a fake joint in his mouth. The ganja gala is set to go down next month in L.A. - and according to the ad, marijuana patients are going to ‘celebrate Obama ending DEA raids’ on weed stores,” TMZ says. The poster reads, “Get Medicated California 420. One year in office celebration.”
“A rep for the White House told TMZ there’s a longstanding policy ‘disapproving of the use of the President’s name and likeness for commercial purposes’ – but the rep wouldn’t say if the Photoshoppin’ potheads were going to face legal action over the ad. Either way... we’re guessing the wave of paranoia that’s about to engulf the tokers responsible for messing with the Most Powerful Man on the Planet will be punishment enough,” the aforementioned media outlet goes on to say.
This is not the first time that either of the Obamas are being used for campaigns without being asked for their OK beforehand. A while back, a series of posters showing the President as The Joker from “Batman” began to emerge all over Los Angeles, though their exact purpose was never made clear. Michelle Obama, on the other hand, woke up one day to find herself a PETA spokesperson and to have her photo plastered over billboards from the organization – and she wasn’t even contacted before they went to print.