Colorado launches 'pot education' campaign

Colorado doesn't mind if you smoke pot — as long as you do it safely.

State health officials have announced a $5.7 million public campaign to educate residents about marijuana safety. The "Good to Know" campaign will use a "bright, neighborly approach" to promote responsible marijuana use, according to Dr. Larry Wolk, the state's chief medical officer.

The new campaign is a departure from previous approaches that tried to deter pot use among teens. Colorado's former "Don't Be a Lab Rat" campaign was widely criticized for echoing "Just Say No" messages and demonizing the drug.

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"We need to start treating marijuana like the drug it is, not the drug some fear it to be," Rep. Jonathan Singer (D), who sponsored the legislation to tax recreational marijuana purchases, told The Associated Press.