Broadcasters are praising the House of Representatives for telling the FCC to "Keep off the grass"... advertising, that is.

The House Wednesday (July 20) passed the 2023 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, which prevents the FCC from taking any actions against broadcasters who air cannabis advertising if it is not against the law in the state or jurisdiction in which the station is licensed.

"Broadcasters have been looking for such protections, arguing that without them they cannot air cannabis ads even where the product is legal, which is in most states.

Also: House Committee to Broadcasters: Roll Your Own Pot Spots

Cable and streaming services, with essentially no FCC licenses at risk, can and do air cannabis ads.

State broadcast associations have been pushing for the right to air ads for a legal product in their states. The New York State Broadcasters Association has pointed out that stations currently run the risk of losing their license -- a risk the bill is meant to remove -- for airing any cannabis ads since the substance remains illegal under federal law.

The National Association of Broadcasters has also pushed for a more level playing field with cable and online.

"For too long, local broadcasters have been stuck in a regulatory purgatory because of conflicting federal and state cannabis laws," said NAB spokesman Alex Siciliano. "Today’s passage marks an important step towards allowing broadcasters to receive equal treatment for cannabis advertising that many other forms of media have enjoyed for years. While we are pleased to see the House act, broadcasters will continue to work with policymakers for a permanent resolution to this competitive disparity to the benefit of consumers.” ■

CNN will follow the lives of marijuana franchise entrepreneurs as part of a new unscripted series High Profits, the network said Thursday.

The series, set to debut in 2015, profiles Brian Rogers and Caitlin McGuire, the owners of Breckenridge Cannabis Club (BCC) whose marijuana business has seen increased revenues since Colorado recently legalized the use and sale of recreational marijuana, said network officials.

The series joins Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, This is Life with Lisa Ling, Somebody’s Gotta Do It with Mike Rowe, The Hunt with John Walsh, as part of CNN’s lineup of unscripted series programming.

CNN is the second network this month to jump into the marijuana-based reality series arena. TruTv last week said it will develop a series pilot around Medicine Man (working title), which follows the Williams family dynasty behind the Medicine Man company -- one of the leaders in Colorado’s legal marijuana industry.