Connecticut Governor Jams To Country Song Celebrating Marijuana Legalization, Drawing Criticism From GOP Opponent

The governor of Connecticut is jamming to a new country song about all the good things about his state, including the fact that it’s “cool to smoke some pot” since he signed an adult-use legalization bill into law.

Gov. Ned Lamont (D) shared a clip of the song, “First Ever Connecticut Country Song” by Rusty Gear, that’s basically a jingle for the Constitution State. But the cannabis mention drew the ire of the governor’s Republican opponent in the upcoming November election, Bob Stefanowski.

“Connecticut has everything!” Lamont said on Twitter, rattling off a list that includes beaches, mountains, breweries and country music (but not taking note of the song’s prominent marijuana mention, though it was included in the short song clip excerpted in his tweet). “Yes, you read that right. We have country music, like this toe-tapping track about our great state.”

Connecticut has everything!

The nation’s best pizza
Lobster rolls
College basketball
Beaches
Mountains
Rivers
Great breweries#CTgrown produce
Country music

Yes, you read that right. We have country music, like this toe-tapping track about our great state. pic.twitter.com/5UKiYxVsKd

— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) June 5, 2022

Here are the lyrics of the clip the governor shared: 

“Back home we thank the governor for the blessings that we got.
We can gamble on the internet, and it’s cool to smoke some pot.
So y’all come visit my state and mind your etiquette.
I guarantee you’ll be welcome in Connecticut.”

The song also takes note of one other state’s cannabis law, saying that “getting high in Colorado is the Rocky Mountain way.”

Lamont, who has been championing cannabis reform throughout his tenure as governor, signed legalization into law about this time last year. Before signing the bill, he was asked if he’d partake himself when it was legal—and he didn’t rule it out, saying “not right now, but we’ll see.”

But while the governor has made clear that he’s willing to lean into cannabis culture, his GOP opponent in this election thinks the tacit endorsement of smoking marijuana shows why he should replace Lamont.

“This video can’t be real – Can it @GovNedLamont?” Stefanowski said. “Our governor should not be encouraging kids to smoke marijuana because Ned Lamont believes it’s ‘cool to smoke pot.’ If this doesn’t prove we need a change in leadership I’m not sure what does!

This video can’t be real – Can it @GovNedLamont? Our governor should not be encouraging kids to smoke marijuana because Ned Lamont believes it’s “cool to smoke pot.” If this doesn’t prove we need a change in leadership I’m not sure what does! https://t.co/JDlK2Ucu1H

— Bob Stefanowski (@bobforgovernor) June 5, 2022

To be clear, the song Lamont shared doesn’t encourage underage cannabis use. It just acknowledges that the state made recreational use legal for adults.

Also when he was running for governor in 2018, Stefanowski didn’t seem especially closed-off to the idea of reforming, saying that “at some point we should look at legalizing marijuana…but we’ve got so many fundamental problems in this state” to deal with first.

Meanwhile, Lamont also signed a large-scale budget bill last month that includes provisions to set the state up to provide certain patients with access to psychedelic-assisted treatment using substances like MDMA and psilocybin.

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Photo courtesy of Martin Alonso.