Gary Chambers, a Democratic candidate for one of Louisiana’s Senate seats, has high hopes for an ad showing him smoking marijuana to push for legalization.
The ad lasts 37 seconds, which Chambers explained in the video released Tuesday is the amount of time between every marijuana-related arrest in the United States.
MARYLAND DELEGATE INTRODUCES ADULT-USE MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION
“Every 37 seconds, someone is arrested for possession of marijuana. Since 2010, state and local police have arrested an estimated 7.3 million Americans for violating marijuana laws — over half of all drug arrests,” Chambers said. “Black people are four times more likely to be arrested than white people. 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.”
My first campaign ad, ‘37 Seconds.’ #JustLikeMe
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new conversation that creates the pathway to legalize this beneficial drug, and forgive those who were arrested due to outdated ideology. pic.twitter.com/G0qKvmUGKD
— Gary Chambers (@GaryChambersJr) January 18, 2022
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Chambers is a Democrat running against Republican incumbent Sen. John Kennedy. Louisiana decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana in August and made the smokable form legal with a prescription on Jan. 1.
Under federal law, the possession and distribution of marijuana are entirely illegal. The first possession offense can result in a misdemeanor charge that carries a one-year sentence in prison and a $1,000 fine, while the first sale offense results in a felony charge that carries a five-year sentence and a $250,000 fine.
