Vice President Kamala Harris has reaffirmed her support for legalizing cannabis, discussing the issue publicly for the first time since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.
During an appearance on the sports podcast, ‘All the Smoke’, on Monday, Harris emphasized her apparent long-standing belief that people should not face incarceration for smoking cannabis, pointing to the historical disparities in cannabis-related arrests.
She highlighted the need for legalization to end criminalization, adding, “We have come to a point where we need to legalize it and stop criminalizing this behavior.”
“Actually this is not a new position for me, I have felt for a long time we need to legalize it. So that’s where I am on that.”
Harris’s views on cannabis have evolved over the years. While serving as California’s attorney general, she aggressively prosecuted marijuana-related offenses and opposed Proposition 19, a 2010 ballot measure to legalize cannabis in California.
However, her stance shifted after becoming a US Senator, where she co-sponsored a federal cannabis legalization bill and advocated for expunging nonviolent cannabis offenses.
This progressive shift aligns with the Biden administration’s recent policy decisions, including efforts to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug.
Despite her public statements, cannabis legalization has not been a prominent feature of her 2024 campaign thus far.
However, Harris’s comments come amid a growing national conversation about cannabis reform, particularly as former President Donald Trump has also expressed tentative support for rescheduling cannabis and implementing cannabis banking reforms.
As Business of Cannabis reported last month, Trump has taken to espousing uncharacteristically liberal policies to win over potential voters.
His latest statement came just a week after he came out in support of adult-use legalization in his home state of Florida, conflicting with the views of Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis.
In response, the Harris campaign has accused Trump of ‘blatant pandering’, noting his administration’s inconsistent stance on cannabis reform.
The post ‘I Have Felt For a Long Time We Need to Legalize It’ – Kamala Harris Publicly Endorses Cannabis Legalization appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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