In a new ad, Gary Chambers, a Louisiana Democrat running for the US Senate, is seen smoking marijuana while he cites statistics about how black pot smokers are four times more likely to be arrested than white smokers.
In a statement Chamber said, "For too long, candidates have used the legalization of marijuana as an empty talking point in order to appeal to progressive voters. 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new conversation that creates the pathway to legalize this beneficial drug, and forgive those who were arrested due to outdated ideology."
From The Washington Post:
Chambers supports federal legislation that would incentivize state and local governments to expunge the criminal records of those who have been convicted of marijuana offenses and that would expand the marijuana industry's access to financial institutions.
His campaign said the ad was filmed in New Orleans, where the City Council recently passed an ordinance intended to remove penalties for simple possession of marijuana.
On a related note, an anti-marijuana organization called Smart Approaches to Marijuana, which was founded by Pat Kennedy (son of Ted Kennedy) and two other prominent and privileged white men, sent out a bizarre anti-legalization tweet yesterday with a quote from Martin Luther King. As Chambers discusses in his video black people are disproportionately victimized by marijuana prohibition. But when Pat Kennedy becomes addicted to cocaine and oxycontin, and drunk drives into a barricade, he has powerful connections and piles of Kennedy money to make his problems go away.
