Posters for Iowa marijuana company just a hoax

CEDAR RAPIDS - If you saw posters on buildings recently in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City advertising an 'Iowa Marijuana Company” coming soon, don't believe a word of it.

It's apparently just a hoax.

Two posters appeared Tuesday on the outside of a storefront at 1245 First Avenue S.E. showing ears of corn in the shape of a marijuana leaf. The posters, put up on an empty building currently for lease, had the date 10/01/15. That apparently implied the Iowa Marijuana Company would start operations then.

John Wasta, who co-owns the building with his brother, said someone told them about the posters Tuesday. The two posters were removed from the outside of the front glass. Wasta kept one in his office as a souvenir.

Asked if the apparent prank was causing any problems for the business, Wasta said it was just causing some of his employees to waste time checking it out.

'I've got all my employees running around looking at websites. But it's just cute,” he said.

The apparently pranksters did create an Iowa Marijuana Company website, complete with photos of the stores coming soon to Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and even Clinton. One of the same posters did appear on an outside door at a building in Iowa City on South Gilbert Street.

Those visiting the 'fake” website could also go to an area to order merchandise like coffee cups and T-shirts with the marijuana-corn logo.