AN ACT PROHIBITING STATE AGENCIES FROM ENGAGING IN ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES CONCERNING RECREATIONAL CANNABIS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Tim Ackert and 9 co-sponsors

Prohibits state agencies from producing or funding ads, marketing, or promotions for recreational cannabis, limiting government-backed promotion and related educational messages.

PUBLIC HEARING 0219

#advertising #marijuana #stateagencies

Bill Summary — HB 5360

Title: AN ACT PROHIBITING STATE AGENCIES FROM ENGAGING IN ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES CONCERNING RECREATIONAL CANNABIS
Bill Number: HB 5360
Introduced: March 14, 2025
Subject: Advertising; Marijuana; State Agencies
Current status (per available actions): Public hearing scheduled Feb 19; later withdrawn from schedule (see Procedural History)

Purpose

HB 5360 would prohibit state agencies from engaging in advertising, marketing, or promotional activities that promote or market recreational cannabis. The bill’s stated intent (per the title) is to prevent government offices from participating in promotional communications that encourage recreational cannabis use.

Key provisions (based on bill title)

Prohibition: State agencies would be barred from producing, funding, or disseminating advertising, marketing, or promotional materials or campaigns that promote recreational cannabis.

Scope: The restriction applies to “state agencies” (the bill text is not provided here, so exact statutory definition—e.g., executive departments, boards, commissions—is unspecified).

Activities covered: “Advertising, marketing or promotional activities” likely includes paid ads, promotional events, and other materials intended to encourage use or sales; the exact definitions, exceptions, and enforcement mechanisms are not available in the summary materials.

Enforcement and penalties: Not specified in the available metadata; the bill text would be needed to identify sanctions, remedies, or oversight provisions.

Who would be affected

State agencies and their communications/public-affairs offices (e.g., departments of health, taxation, regulatory agencies).

State-funded public education or outreach campaigns concerning cannabis.

Potentially cannabis regulatory bodies if they undertake informational campaigns that could be construed as promotional.

Indirectly affects the cannabis industry, public-health organizations, and the general public who receive state-sponsored information.

Potential impacts and considerations

Limits state-sponsored promotion of recreational cannabis; may be intended to avoid perceived government endorsement.

Could constrain state-run public education about safe use, regulatory compliance, impairment, or youth prevention if not carefully exempted.

May shift informational responsibilities to non-governmental entities or require agencies to reframe messaging as neutral, factual guidance rather than “promotion.”

Legal questions could arise about definitions (what constitutes “promotion”) and First Amendment/administrative law implications depending on enforcement.

Procedural history & next steps (as provided)

2025-01-16: Referred to Joint Committee on General Law

2025-02-03: Vote to Draft

2025-02-11: Drafted by committee

2025-02-13: Referred to Joint Committee on General Law (record shows multiple referrals)

2025-02-14: Public hearing scheduled for 02/19 (PUBLIC HEARING 0219)

2025-03-14: Filed (introduced)

2025-04-07: Read first time; referred to State Affairs

2025-04-30: Withdrawn from schedule

Note: The full bill text was not provided. This summary is derived from the bill title and available legislative-action metadata; for precise definitions, exceptions, enforcement, and exact statutory changes, consult the bill’s full text as introduced.