NewsBeat

February 2016 NewsBeat 19 undermines and threatens news publications that choose to accept advertising from legal marijuana businesses in Oregon and other states where voters also have freely decided to legalize marijuana." A top Postal Service wrote back last week. "Based on our review of the [law], we have concluded that advertisements for the sale of marijuana are non-mailable," wrote Thomas Marshall, USPS general counsel and executive vice president, according to published reports. Marijuana is listed in the federal Controlled Substances Act like heroin and other drugs. It prohibits advertisements in "any newspaper, magazine, handbill, or other publications," Marshall wrote. "These provisions express Congress's judgment that the mail should not be used as a means of transmitting advertisements for the sale of marijuana, even if that sale is allowed under state law," he said. But there's a twist. The Postal Service apparently has no authority to stop the mailers if their publications contain pot ads. The new policy directs postmasters to send a report to the local U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service. The matter would, in theory, then be turned over to a law enforcement agency for prosecution, although it's unclear whether this kind of crime would be prosecuted. Federal authorities have generally not cracked down on pot sales in states where they're legal. The policy means that pot ads are off-limits to newspapers and other businesses that use the Postal Service to deliver papers, as well as direct-mail companies that to work with the cannabis industry on advertising. Some local newspapers said the policy will cut into the bottom line of businesses struggling for revenue in the declining publishing industry. "For our weekly in Washington state, Chinook Observer, it's a large deal," Steve Forrester, president and chief executive of the EO Media Group, which publishes the Observer, based in Long Beach, Wash., told the Bulletin this month. "They're about a 6,000 circulation [paper]. Half of it goes through the mail, which is true of a lot of rural weeklies." Lisa Rein covers the federal workforce and issues that concern the management of government. — Reprinted from The Washington Post IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR NEWSPAPERS: New York State's General Business Law requires the following: Every newspaper, magazine or other periodical published in NY must publish in every issue, on the editorial page or on one of the first four pages, the full name and address of the owner(s), or if owned by a corporation, the name of the corporation and the address of its principal place of business, together with the full names of the president, secretary and treasurer. Failure to publish this information in every issue is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine calculated per issue in non-compliance. Encourage your sales staff to sell into NYPS's statewide classified advertising network (NYSCAN). It's easy and your newspaper keeps 60% of every sale (a great deal!). NYPS has produced a short training video to show your staff how easy it is to upsell existing clients into the network. Go to nynewspapers.com and click on the icon on the home page. You can also download the network media kits from the website. Start today! Don't leave this easy money on the table!! Want to make some easy money? Questions? Call or email Laurel to learn how your newspaper can make money selling network ads. 518-464-6483 or ljacon@nynewspapers.com www.nynewspapers.com PS

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