*By Chloe Aiello* Cannabis investment company Acreage Holdings knew CBS would likely reject its proposed Super Bowl commercial, but CEO Kevin Murphy said it was worth the trouble. The ad was produced to draw attention to the STATES Act, a piece of bipartisan legislation that aims to pave the way for widespread legal cannabis in the U.S. "The message is very simple: the time is now to bring on and get behind the STATES Act," Murphy told Cheddar. "The STATES Act is a bill that we hope can pass in Congress and in the Senate to leave cannabis reform to the states." The STATES Act, which stands for "Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States," is a piece of legislation backed by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is considering a 2020 presidential run, and Senator Cory Gardner (R - Colo.) that adopts a states' rights approach to legalization. If the STATES Act were to pass, industries in the more than 33 states that have already legalized in some form would have the blessing of the federal government to step into the sun. As the STATES Act is not a federal legalization bill, states opposed to marijuana can keep criminal prohibitions. Murphy who has previously expressed confidence in the measure, said 2019 will be its year. "I believe the STATES Act passes in 2019," Murphy said. Acreage ー which boasts support from former House Speaker John Boehner and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld ー was preparing this year for either a 30-second or 60-second Super Bowl ad touting the benefits of medical marijuana. A version of the commercial, [posted on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4GpGHgOHAk), shows dramatic, black-and-white imagery of patients suffering from various health issues, and features their testimonies ー which all say they benefited from the use of medical marijuana. CBS, which is broadcasting the Super Bowl this year, [reportedly](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-rejects-super-bowl-ad-touting-the-benefits-of-medical-marijuana/) rejected it on the grounds that the network would not accept any cannabis-related advertising. CBS did not immediately respond to Cheddar's request for comment. "We don't begrudge CBS for not airing it, but again, in today's day and age where you're seeing ads for alcohol and beer, our view is this is a plant so powerful in so many ways and we just needed to bring it to the forefront," Murphy told Cheddar, adding that the company was disappointed by the decision, but still hopes to one day air it on network television. The ad may not get the chance to air during the Super Bowl, but it's still generated significant buzz. [According to data from Zignal Labs](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-to-advertise-during-the-super-bowl-without-buying-ads), Acreage's vetoed commercial is the most discussed ad topic online. *Cheddar's Michelle Castillo contributed reporting.* For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/acreage-ceo-disappointed-cbs-denied-ad-promoting-medical-marijuana).
