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YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Veterans for Weed has changed its name to Veterans for Weed United, creating an acronym the marijuana advocacy group hopes will be more palatable to the venerable Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Known by the acronym VFW for decades, the Veterans of Foreign Wars had sent the Milwaukee-based pro-pot group a cease-and-desist letter on Monday. The original VFW holds a trademark on the acronym and demanded that Veterans for Weed stop placing it on its publications and promotional products.

“We have chosen to remove all current artwork using the VFW sign,” the group said in a statement posted on its website.

It also added “United” to its name to create a different acronym. “We respect the Veterans of Foreign Wars and apologize for any inconvenience this caused them with the similar abbreviation,” the statement said.

The VFWU refused, however, to scrap a doctored version of the well-known POW/MIA logo it has adapted for its cause. The original logo was created for the National League of POW/MIA Families and is revered by many veterans and their families, although it’s not copyrighted. It features the silhouette of a servicemember’s head and neck.

Renamed “The Prisoner of Weed Flag” by the VFWU, the altered logo uses the same silhouette but adds a marijuana cigarette to his lips and the words “Semper High” below it.

“The POW logo is not copyrighted, and is an art piece for all people,” the statement said, noting that the VFWU had been swamped with criticism over the modified logo. “We apologize that you take offense, but we will not be changing our symbol.”

The logo will be deleted only if marijuana is legalized, the statement said.

Officials from the Veterans of Foreign Wars said they are satisfied with the name change, but like other veterans groups are still upset with the doctored logo.

“They should be ashamed to consider their social issue on par with America’s former POWs and 83,000 servicemen still missing in action going back to World War II,” said VFW spokesman Joe Davis. “What VFWU is doing is a total insult to their memory and sacrifice, and to the families who still grieve.”

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