 Thomas McDermott, who is currently the mayor of Hammond, Indiana, is running for Senator in Indiana.
On 4-20 he released his newest video advertising his campaign, and in the spot, McDermott is shown lighting up a joint and smoking it on camera. McDermott is sitting outdoors in a circle of people, and the first thing he does is light up and inhale. He then passes it, and says, “The legalization of cannabis is important to this campaign.” In a separate tweet, McDermott acknowledged the controversy of this type of ad, and he said, “I’ve been thinking a lot about whether to launch this video where I light up. It’s an issue that’s personal & important to me & so many.” Indiana is one of only 13 remaining states with no medical cannabis law. And, Indiana’s current laws say that even simple possession of one joint could be punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. The ad points out that cannabis is legal right next door in Illinois, where they actually filmed it, and McDermott says, ‘We need to also legalize cannabis in Indiana as well, so Hoosiers can get the health and economic benefits of cannabis. That’s the future we all deserve.” The other people included speaking in the commercial are attorneys, a doctor, a city councilor, and a grower.” One attorney named Shana says, “My whole adult life I’ve been surrounded by people—successful, creative people—who smoke weed and who are dying for this to happen. We’re ecstatic that it’s happened in Illinois and Michigan so that we can buy it legally, but why not Indiana?” Mike, a professional distiller, refers to the huge economic boost legalizing cannanbis brings, saying, “Now we have farms in Illinois where cannabis is being grown. The economic impact that it makes is tremendous, you know? Not only for the state, but for smaller towns as well,” he says. McDermott, who is a Democrat, is regarded as a longshot. The Cook Political Report currently rates the Indiana Senate race as “solid Republican.” The fellow professionals who smoked with him in the ad, and also spoke about their support for cannabis legalization all helped to give a picture of what cannabis consumers can look like, as opposed to negative stereotypes that some people still believe. This isn’t the first time a politician has done this sort of thing. Just a few months ago, another person running for Senate did a similar campaign advertisement. In January, Gary Chambers, who is running for U.S. Senate in Louisiana, got a lot of people’s attention in a campaign video where he smoked a blunt. In that ad, Chambers focuses on the incarceration rates and costs associated with keeping marijuana illegal. Even if these candidates don’t win in their elections, these moves are brave, as they are taking huge personal and professional risks for the cannabis legalization cause. And while some may not like these ads, overall it is bringing a great deal of awareness to the cause, and perhaps more importantly, it’s showing that people of all walks of life, including politicians, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals believe in the benefits of cannabis. Comments are closed.
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