By now you've probably heard about Marlboro's new brand of marijuana cigarettes, called "M"s. Unfortunately, despite the legalization of marijuana in states like Colorado and Washington, rumors that Marlboro has embraced selling weed is a hoax.
The rumors got started by a website called Abril Uno, which likely tipped off some readers, as it roughly translates to April 1.
The author of the parody post told viewers that Marlboro was the first major tobacco distributor to enter the marijuana market:
"Phillip Morris, the world's biggest cigarette producer, announced today that they will join the marijuana legalization bandwagon and start producing marijuana cigarettes. To be marketed under the brand 'Marlboro M,' it will be made available for sale through marijuana-licensed outlets in the state of Colorado, and Washington when it becomes commercially legal later this year."
What really should have tipped readers off to the fraud, however, was the following paragraph, where the author claimed that Serafin Norcik (fictional VP of Marketing for Phillip Morris) was turning to drug lords for assistance:
"Norcik added that they have begun contacting former drug lords in Mexico and Paraguay, currently the largest marijuana-producing countries in the world, for the possibility of setting up a distribution ring across the North and South American continents, to streamline the supply lines."
According to Snopes, this isn't the first time that Marlboro has been considering an entry into the drug world. In fact, this has been going on for over 50 years:
"At least as far back as the 1960s, rumors have circulated that major tobacco companies were preparing to enter the marijuana cigarette market in anticipation of the imminent legalization of pot in the U.S., buying up marijuana fields in Mexico, designing new cigarette packages, and trademarking potential brand names such as 'Panama Red' and 'Acapulco Gold.'"
What do you think about the hoax? Did they fool you? Should a major cigarette producer enter the drug game?
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