You know who should really get the credit for medical marijuana in KY? Gatewood. | Opinion

The leaves are changing, lawn signs greet you at every turn, and the airwaves are packed with political commercials from morning til night. This time of year it seems like there is always someone missing: Gatewood.

Louis Gatewood Galbraith passed away in January 2012, after decades at the center of Kentucky politics, popular culture, and public life in Lexington. Gatewood ran for governor five times, as well as for the house of representatives, attorney general, and agriculture commissioner. For nearly 30 years, it was rare that a statewide or national race transpired without seeing Gatewood on the debate stage, sauntering around the grounds of Fancy Farm, or, perhaps most notably, holding giant campaign signs on the corners of busy intersections around Lexington asking for your vote.

Known for his comedic quips and his larger than life personality, Gatewood endeared himself to many in Kentucky. Most widely known for his advocacy for the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis and industrial hemp, Gatewood saw himself as a protector of personal freedom and liberty, often explaining, ““When I grew up ‘conservative’ meant you kept the government in a little box. When you opened up that box and let the government grow exponentially, it got out of control and got too intrusive. What I want to do is put government back in that box.”

Gatewood framed himself as a crusader and protector — despising bullies and fighting for the communities and people he held close to his heart: those he saw being taken advantage of by career politicians and corrupt corporations. Gatewood was known for railing against those he saw as adversaries in this holy crusade: as he put it, the “Petrochemical-Pharmaceutical-Military-Industrial-Transnational-Corporate-Fascist-Elite-Bastards”.

Though he never won an election, Gatewood always made his presence known and felt, crossing the state in his mission to earn votes, appearing at public forums, libraries, bingo halls, and schools. Always lacking funding and struggling with his own personal financial issues, Gatewood found it sacred to share his beliefs about keeping the government out of “your bedroom, your bloodstream, your brain, your bladder, your business, your billfold, your back pockets, your bingo halls, and your Internet bulletin boards” with the people of Kentucky.

Gatewood was a Lexington fixture, practicing law and inserting himself into community life, such as the time he was arrested for obstructing the 1995 Lexington 4th of July parade, or for his lesser known penchant for traversing downtown and giving out money and food to those in need.

In my soon to be released biography, “Gatewood: Kentucky’s Uncommon Man,” I conducted interviews with those who knew Gatewood best: his family, friends, political allies and adversaries to get closer to the truth of who Gatewood was and what he stood for. I partnered with the University Press of Kentucky to author this book, a decade after Gatewood’s death, because his legacy in Kentucky politics and culture is still misunderstood and underappreciated.

No one did more in Kentucky history to push for legislation and reforms related to industrial hemp and cannabis. Many activists and politicians deserve credit for the recent passing of medical cannabis legislation in Kentucky, but Gatewood’s name has been mentioned too seldom as the credit has been doled out. There was only one person who steadfastly advocated for increasing access to cannabis in Kentucky for over thirty years on the public stage. During these races, Gatewood was consistently ridiculed and skewered for his positions by both political parties; now we see Governor Andy Beshear and members of the Kentucky Republican majority arguing over who gets the credit for its passage.

One thing I heard consistently from those I interviewed for the biography was how Gatewood was “ahead of his time.” Well now Gatewood’s time has come. It’s just a shame that he is not here to see it.

Gatewood has left a legacy of justice and compassion, of determination and humanity. We owe it to him to recognize and honor his life and work.

Matthew Strandmark is an educator, researcher and archivist at the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center. “Gatewood: Kentucky’s Uncommon Man” will be released on Nov. 7, 2023 from the University Press of Kentucky.