Louisiana Senate Candidate Gary Chambers Smokes Joint in First Campaign Ad
Democratic Louisiana Senate Candidate Gary Chambers is making quite the first impression with a campaign ad that is currently going viral.
Chambers is looking to unseat Republican Sen. John Kennedy and his first ad, titled '37 seconds,' features the candidate openly smoking a blunt as he delivers a list of reasons why he believes marijuana should be legalized.
I hope this ad works to not only destigmatize the use of marijuana, but also forces a new conversation that creates the pathway to legalize this beneficial drug, and forgive those who were arrested due to outdated ideology
As he is seated in a leather chair in the middle of a field puffing on marijuana, Chambers can be heard in a voiceover saying "every 37 seconds someone is arrested for possession of marijuana" before rattling off more statistics.
Overall, the ad advocates for the decriminalization of marijuana by giving out real figures that Chambers describes as wasteful spending that doesn't even move the needle.
States waste $3.7 billion enforcing marijuana laws every year. Most of the people police are arresting aren't dealers but rather people with small amounts of pot, just like me
In addition to Kennedy (who was first elected in 2016), Chambers will have to battle another Democrat by the name of Luke Mixon for the senate seat in a state that usually votes in favor of Republicans. Both Kennedy and Trump won big in Louisiana in the 2020 election.
Chambers was unsuccessful in his congressional run last year in an attempt to replace Rep. Cedric Richmond who moved on to join the Biden administration in 2021.
But you may remember him best for his viral video calling out a school board member by the name of Connie who was allegedly doing some online shopping while serious matters were being discussed in a meeting.
His ad is believed to be the first of its kind in a Senate race as no other candidates are believed to have openly smoked marijuana in any of their commercials.
While we won't truly know how the ad will affect his campaign until the votes are in at the polls, Chambers' ad has definitely made a splash with those who are looking to legalize, destigmatize and decriminalize marijuana in Louisiana and beyond.
Currently (as of Jan. 1), smokeable marijuana is legal in Louisiana "under certain conditions" as patients are allowed to purchase a limited amount of cannabis flower from authorized dispensaries within a time frame of every two weeks.