Show-Me Organics Campaign Challenges Big Pharma to Have a Taste of Its Own Medicine

For decades, pharmaceutical companies have knowingly promoted drugs that are dangerous and addictive. Now, Show-Me Organics - a family-owned cannabis dispensary in Missouri - are challenging big pharma and their CEOs to put their medicine where their mouth is with a campaign from Bandits & Friends.

For the second year, Show-Me Organics is pushing against the opioid industry. This year, by directly challenging the founders of Big Pharma and the CEOs of opioid manufacturers to do what they push millions of people to do every single day: To take their own opioids.

Afterall, if opioids are as safe as they say, they shouldn’t mind taking a taste of their own medicine.

Show-Me’s founders, LeAnne and Jess Dickerson, owned a pharmacy for 17 years and witnessed the opioid epidemic’s toll on their community, before opening a dispensary. Because they know cannabis is a safer alternative for pain management.

And while cannabis’ acceptance is growing, both in society and the government, it remains overlooked when it comes to pain relief. But with the opioid crisis leaving lasting damage, it’s time for people to feel empowered to explore alternatives, like cannabis, and understand all of its benefits.

This is why Jess and LeAnne are going to proudly take their own medicine and challenge big pharma and opioid manufacturers to do the same.

The Taste Your Own Medicine campaign will employ a multi-platform approach, including video content featuring the founders of Show-Me Organics (LeAnne and Jess Dickerson, Presidents of the company, along with their sons Montana Dickerson, CEO, and Boston Dickerson, Director of Science) discussing their transition from pharmaceuticals to cannabis.

In the film, directed by Strike Anywhere's Matt Sklar, we see the family’s experience with the opioid epidemic as pharmacy owners. It highlights the benefits of cannabis for pain management, and issues a direct challenge to Big Pharma, asking them to 'Taste Their Own Medicine'.

To make sure these opioid makers receive the challenge, the brand is posting its film and tagging big pharma brands, their founders and their CEOs on LinkedIn and Instagram. Because if opioids are their business, what better place to get their attention than on LinkedIn, the heart of their professional network.

These tags, along with the film, can be found on a dedicated website that also has information on the opioid epidemic. The site will tell people how they can join our challenge to Big Pharma and give them the brands and the names to tag. Here, all these social media posts will also be aggregated, showing the campaign’s efforts in real time.

“The reason we started our pharmacy was the same reason we got into cannabis: we want to improve the lives of people in our community,” said LeAnne Dickerson, president of Show-Me Organics. “Cannabis still isn’t widely discussed as a safe alternative to opioids despite the ever growing body of evidence.”

Rob McQueen, group creative director at Bandits & Friends, said, “Relative to these big pharma monoliths, Show-Me Organics is a small, local brand. But they’re brave and they’ve got something to say. We knew if we wanted to poke such a huge bear, we needed to poke pretty hard. And we figured going right at them, with the weight of the internet behind us would be our best chance.”

Courtney Hoenicke, senior copywriter at Bandits & Friends, “Growing up in Cincinnati I saw firsthand the impacts of big pharma, and more specifically, the opioid epidemic. So, when we got briefed on this project, to actually go after these companies who prioritized their pockets over people's lives, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It’s been awesome to work with a brand like Show-Me Organics who truly wants to stand up for what’s right.”

Matt Sklar, director at Strike Anywhere, said, “The opioid epidemic is something personal for me, I’ve lost several friends and family members to overdoses over the years. That said, I couldn’t be more proud to work on a project that takes on big pharma in a loud and meaningful way. Looking at the cannabis industry through the eyes of Jess and LeAnne, and hearing their personal stories was truly inspiring."