WASHINGTON DC – What is the Kamala Harris Cannabis Legalization Policy 2024? On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her support for legalizing recreational marijuana use on a federal level. Subsequently, the Democratic nominee for president announced her views on the subject during a guest appearance on the sports podcast “All the Smoke.”
1. Kamala Harris’ Statement About Cannabis Legalization 2024:
“I just think we have come to a point where we have to understand that we need to legalize it and stop criminalizing this behavior,”
Harris said. The idea of legalizing marijuana is not “new” for her, she said.
“I have felt for a long time we need to legalize it,”
2. Harris Marijuana Legalization Impact on Black Communities:
Harris also discussed how the criminalization of selling and using the drug has disproportionately targeted Black communities. Although Black people use the drug at the same rate as white people, they are arrested for marijuana-related offenses at a rate that is four times higher.
“We know historically what [criminalization of marijuana] has meant and who has gone to jail,” Harris noted.
3. Kamala Harris’ Evolving Stance on Marijuana Legalization:
Although Harris has expressed support for legalizing recreational cannabis use in the past years, she was ambivalent about legalization as recently as 2016.
However, as a U.S. senator in 2018, Harris, alongside Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), co-sponsored legislation that would have had a two-fold impact: expunging past cannabis-related offenses and legalizing the drug for recreational use. Furthermore, she expressed support for similar moves in 2020 as a candidate for president during the Democratic primaries.
In contrast, in 2016, however, as a candidate for senator, she took no position on marijuana legalization. Even as voters in her home state of California were considering passing a ballot initiative to legalize the drug. Additionally, Harris also campaigned against a similar measure in 2010 as a candidate for attorney general, stating that she supported the medicinal use of marijuana but not legalizing recreational use.
4. Main Goals of Kamala Harris’s Cannabis Legalization Policy 2024:
As a district attorney in San Francisco, Harris’s office oversaw nearly 2,000 convictions for marijuana use. Although in most cases individuals were not sent to prison upon being convicted.
Despite this history, Harris’s current stance on cannabis legalization goes beyond President Joe Biden’s action on the issue. Earlier this year, his administration announced a plan to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I designation to Schedule III, which is less regulated.
Schedule I designation means the most strictly regulated drugs, which are considered to have “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. However, that plan did not call for federal legalization.
5. Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump on Cannabis Legalization:
Harris is also ahead of the Republican candidate for president Donald Trump on legalization. In contrast, while Trump has expressed that he will be voting for Florida to allow the recreational use of the drug, he has not come out in favor of federally legalizing it.
Moreover, Trump has taken harsh anti-drug positions, including calling for the death penalty for drug dealers, which suggests he won’t be changing his mind on marijuana use at the national level anytime soon.
6. Current Public Opinion on Marijuana Legalization in the US:
The vast majority of Americans support legalizing cannabis. For instance, a Gallup poll from last November found that a whopping 70 percent of voters backed full legalization of marijuana. While a mere 29 percent wanted the drug to remain illegal.
This growing public support for cannabis legalization reflects a significant shift in American attitudes towards marijuana, driven by factors such as:
- Changing perceptions of its harms
- Increased understanding of its potential medical benefits
- Economic opportunities associated with a legal cannabis industry
This story was published by Truth Out.
Ending Thoughts:
As the 2024 election approaches, Kamala Harris’s firm commitment to legalizing recreational marijuana sets her apart from Donald Trump, who remains hesitant about federal legalization despite some state-level support. With a significant majority of Americans favoring cannabis legalization Harris’s stance resonates with the public’s evolving views on drug policy.
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FAQs:
1. How does Kamala Harris’s cannabis policy differ from Joe Biden’s?
Harris’s approach is more progressive than Biden’s, as she advocates for full legalization rather than just reclassification. While Biden has initiated steps to reclassify marijuana, he has not called for its complete legalization.
2. What are the economic implications of Harris’s cannabis legalization policy?
Legalizing marijuana could significantly boost tax revenues, as seen in states that have already legalized it, which collected over $4 billion in 2023 alone. Harris’s policy aims to ensure that Black entrepreneurs can access opportunities in this growing market.
3. What are the potential legal changes if Harris becomes president?
If elected, Harris intends to work with Congress to establish federal laws that would legalize marijuana cultivation, distribution, and possession, thus creating a regulated national cannabis industry
