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An Indiana mayor who\u2019s running for U.S. Senate openly smoked marijuana in a campaign ad that was released on the unofficial cannabis holiday 4\/20 on Wednesday. It\u2019s the second time in this election cycle that a Democratic Senate candidate has toked on camera on the campaign trail.<\/p>\n
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott (D) sparked up a joint in Illinois, just one mile from the Indiana border, to show how the patchwork of state policies on marijuana means that states like Indiana that keep cannabis illegal are missing economic opportunities while perpetuating a cycle of criminalization.<\/p>\n
\nThe ad is the latest in a recent trend of congressional office-seekers breaking with the status quo and showing that they don\u2019t just support legalization, they partake, too. Democrat Gary Chambers, who is also seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate, drew headlines this year when he smoked a blunt in one of his first campaign ads<\/a>.<\/p>\n After inhaling, McDermott starts by saying that the \u201clegalization of cannabis is important to this campaign.\u201d Not only will he continue advocating for reform in Indiana; he said that if elected to represent the state in Congress, he will strive to enact the policy change federally, too.<\/p>\n He was joined in the campaign ad by attorneys, a city councilman, a distiller and a physician who also expressed support for legalization. The doctor was a designated driver to get the Senate candidate back home safely after filming on the spot wrapped.<\/p>\n Even on #420day<\/a> not many Senate candidates admit to having smoked weed. I\u2019m not most Senate candidates. I\u2019ve been thinking a lot about whether to launch this video where I light up. It\u2019s an issue that\u2019s personal & important to me & so many. #LegalizeIt<\/a> \u2014 Thomas McDermott (@tommcdermottjr) April 20, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n McDermott, who served in the U.S. Navy, made a point to say that \u201cveterans deserve this,\u201d and he knows \u201cmany\u201d veterans who\u2019ve used cannabis to treat symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n The ad\u2019s launch coincides with the start of a four-day, statewide tour that the Indiana Democratic Party is organizing to raise awareness about the issue and the need to end prohibition in the state. McDermott will be participating in that tour, alongside advocates with groups like Indiana NORML.<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s the bottom line: We need to legalize marijuana on the federal level. We need to also legalize cannabis in Indiana as well so the Hoosiers can get the health and economic benefits of cannabis,\u201d the candidate said. \u201cThat\u2019s the future we all deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n Even on 4\/20, not many Senate candidates will admit to having smoked weed. I\u2019m not most Senate candidates \u2013 I just lit up on camera.<\/p>\n Watch the video to learn why legalizing cannabis is important to me and and if you can, chip in to show your support \u2014 McDermott for Indiana (@gomcdermott) April 20, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n McDermott also talks about marijuana as a key issue on his campaign website<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cDude, its 2022! Across America, millions of Americans use marijuana to help in the treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, seizures, Crohn\u2019s disease, Alzheimer\u2019s and cancer. That\u2019s why 31 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories have legalized it for medical use, including three states that border Indiana (Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois). Furthermore, it\u2019s become very clear that we are on the way to full legalization in most of the country, with 13 states already making marijuana a legal substance and others having decriminalized it. It\u2019s time the federal government recognize that marijuana should be legal and as a U.S. Senator, I will fight to ensure it.\u201d<\/p>\n Since marijuana remains illegal in Indiana, and Democratic legislators have blamed inaction on GOP colleagues unwilling to advance the issue, don\u2019t expect McDermott to light up in Indianapolis for the tour. But the ad reveals a burgeoning willingness to push boundaries while cannabis remains federally prohibited.<\/p>\n Chambers\u2019s first marijuana ad took place in Louisiana, where low-level possession is decriminalized. But he also visited Illinois and filmed a follow-up ad where he visited a drive-thru dispensary<\/a>.<\/p>\n Anthony Clark, an Illinois candidate who ran an unsuccessful primary challenge against a Democratic congressional incumbent in 2020, made waves after he smoked marijuana in a campaign ad<\/a>\u00a0while discussing his personal experience with cannabis and the need for federal reform. He also hosted what he called the\u00a0\u201cfirst-ever congressional weed party\u201d<\/a>\u00a0in a campaign video.<\/p>\n Also that year, a Democratic candidate for a House seat to represent Oregon frequently\u00a0discussed consuming and cultivating cannabis herself<\/a>.<\/p>\n A sitting member of Congress has never publicly smoked marijuana, but several lawmakers have\u00a0visited marijuana farms<\/a>,\u00a0companies and state-legal dispensaries<\/a>. Rep. James Comer (R-KY)\u00a0brought CBD oil products he uses to a committee hearing<\/a>\u00a0in 2019.<\/p>\n Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee (D) said in 2019 that while he doesn\u2019t smoke marijuana, \u201cI do grow it legally,\u201d but a spokesperson later clarified that\u00a0he was broadly referring to legal cultivation<\/a>\u00a0in the state.<\/p>\n Enacting legalization in Indiana might be an uphill battle for Democrats in the GOP-controlled legislature, but the state party is making clear that reform is a priority. Several bills were pre-filed to end prohibition this session<\/a>, but they\u2019ve yet to advance.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have seen the impact that recreational and medicinal cannabis use has made on the states around us, and not only are Hoosiers contributing to neighboring states\u2019 economies, Indiana is now on the verge of losing out altogether,\u201d Mike Schmuhl, chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, said in a press release about the new tour. \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate to see Indiana Republicans have no plan on cannabis, and instead, see them oppose this common sense policy due to partisanship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDemocrats have taken the lead on this effort because it\u2019s a win-win for the state\u2019s economy and for Hoosiers altogether,\u201d he said. \u201cLegalizing cannabis will also fulfill Democrats\u2019 consistent promise of creating a better future for our families.\u201d<\/p>\n Brands, Celebs And Organizations Celebrate Marijuana Holiday 4\/20 Amid Push For Federal Legalization<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of McDermott\/Youtube<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Another US Senate Candidate Smokes Marijuana In Campaign Ad, Calling For Reform On 4\/20<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
An Indiana mayor who\u2019s running for U.S. Senate openly smoked marijuana in a campaign ad that was released on the unofficial cannabis holiday 4\/20 on Wednesday. It\u2019s the second time in this election cycle that a Democratic Senate candidate has toked on camera on the campaign trail. Hammond Mayor ThomasContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":54392,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81,126],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54391"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54391"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54393,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54391\/revisions\/54393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: Another US Senate Candidate Smokes Marijuana In Campaign Ad, Calling For Reform On 4\/20<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"