Gary Chambers bakes the competition with weed-themed Senate campaign ad
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - US Senate candidate Gary Chambers left no doubts about his stance on marijuana legalization with his first campaign ad.
Gary Chambers released the ad, titled 37 Seconds, on Tuesday.
The reason for the name becomes immediately clear as Chambers opens, "Every 37 seconds, someone is arrested for possession of marijuana."
Throughout the video – itself exactly 37 seconds long – Chambers can be seen puffing on a large joint.
"Since 2010, state and local police have arrested an estimated 7.3 million Americans for violating marijuana laws – over half of all drug arrests," he adds as a clock ticks in the background.
He then ties the issue of marijuana legalization to racial justice: "Black people are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana laws than white people," he says.
Chambers hails from Louisiana, whose population is 34% Black – much higher than the national average of 14%.
"Most of the people police are arresting aren't dealers but rather people with small amounts of pot – just like me," he concludes.
Chambers announced his bid to unseat Louisiana's Republican Senator John Kennedy earlier this month.
In an exclusive interview with TAG24, Chambers expressed his commitment to pursuing criminal justice reform in Congress.
Changing marijuana laws will clearly be a key aspect of his campaign when it comes to tackling the racial disparities baked into the US criminal justice system.
"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new conversation that creates the pathway to legalize this beneficial drug, and forgive those who were arrested due to outdated ideology," he tweeted along with the video.
Though some states and cities have decriminalized recreational cannabis use, Louisiana and the federal government have yet to get on board.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Facebook/Gary Chambers Jr.