Marijuana legalization continues to play a central role in the campaign of Gary Chambers Jr., a Democrat challenging the re-election bid of U.S. Senator John Kennedy.

Chambers’ campaign pointed out that he was chosen for the 2022 Policy Changemaker Award at the National Cannabis Festival last weekend in Washington, D.C.

Chambers was selected because of an online ad in January where he shot a blunt – a mixture of marijuana and tobacco – and called for the decriminalization of drug possession.

“His candidacy changed the way we talk about cannabis on the campaign trail and inspired people across the country to vote at the polls this fall,” a festival spokesperson said. Chambers is the first unelected representative to win the award. .

On Wednesday, Chambers went to the State Capitol to offer his support for the legalization of marijuana.

“It wasn’t about smoking a joint,” Chambers told members of Louisiana House’s health and welfare committee, referring to his announcement. He said he wanted to draw attention to people like Kevin Allen, who Chambers says is serving a life sentence after he was caught selling $20 worth of marijuana to a friend who worked as an agent. of infiltration.

Chambers did not note that Allen received a life sentence because previous drug convictions put him in the category of a repeat offender. Allen refused plea deals that would have sentenced him to 20 years.

Chambers, a social justice activist from Baton Rouge, told committee members that the Legislature was missing out on significant tax revenue by not legalizing pot. Under current law, marijuana users must have a doctor’s prescription and can only buy the drug at certain pharmacies.

“We are missing a golden opportunity in our state to build a gateway to better roads, bridges and schools,” Chambers said. “We have to get out of these archaic practices.”

Chambers said expanding the availability of marijuana would help people who can’t sleep at night or are addicted to opioids.

However, the legislature seems unwilling to take Chambers’ advice this year.

The Senate primary is Nov. 8. Kennedy, a Republican, is seeking a second term.

Luke Mixon, a Delta Air Lines pilot who was a Navy fighter pilot, is running as a moderate Democrat.