WASHINGTON — PRESS RELEASE — The Marijuana Policy Project announced Friday it has retained Mason Tvert of VS Strategies to serve as its national spokesperson and coordinate media relations in support of its state and federal advocacy efforts.
Tvert has been working to change public policies and attitudes surrounding marijuana since 2005, when he co-founded Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), a nonprofit advocacy organization that laid much of the groundwork for legalization in Colorado. He has been called "The Don Draper of Pot" by Politico Magazine, "marijuana's top evangelist" by The Boston Globe, and one of Colorado's "top thinkers" in politics and government by The Denver Post.
“Marijuana policy is receiving more attention than ever in Congress, in state legislatures, and in the media,” said MPP Executive Director Matt Schweich. “MPP has long been a leader on all three of these fronts, and Mason will be an asset as we continue working to change laws and build support for ending marijuana prohibition. He knows the issues, he has been helping journalists cover them for over a decade, and he has a proven track record of getting MPP’s message out.”
Tvert first joined the MPP staff in 2012 to co-direct the historic Colorado legalization initiative campaign. He then served as the organization’s director of communications from 2013-2017, during which time he worked on several successful ballot initiatives and legislative efforts. Tvert left MPP in July to become a partner and vice president of communications at VS Strategies, a Denver-based public affairs firm specializing in marijuana policy and the legal cannabis industry.
“MPP has been responsible for much of the progress that has been made on marijuana policy over the past two decades,” Tvert said, “and I am proud to be working with them again to continue moving the ball forward. This is a truly exciting time for the movement to end marijuana prohibition. The issue is being rigorously debated at the state, federal, and international levels, and it is critical that the media stay informed and get the facts out to the public. News outlets and journalists are facing a lot of challenges, and I will continue to do everything I can to help them get the stories and get them right.”
