Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirmed her support for legalizing marijuana, taking a more definitive stance than President Biden on the issue. During a podcast interview on “All the Smoke” released Monday, Harris emphasized that it’s time to legalize marijuana and end the criminalization of its use.
“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 during the nearly hour-long interview. She went on to say, “I just feel strongly people should not be going to jail for smoking weed. And we know historically what that has meant and who has gone to jail.”
While Harris acknowledged her long-standing support for legalization, critics have pointed out that her stance has evolved over the years. As San Francisco’s district attorney and California’s attorney general, Harris was known for prosecuting marijuana-related offenses. She also opposed Proposition 19, a 2010 California ballot measure that aimed to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
However, as a senator, Harris shifted her stance and co-sponsored legislation to end the federal prohibition of marijuana. During her 2019 presidential campaign, she also advocated for expunging nonviolent marijuana-related criminal offenses—an effort the Biden administration has partially implemented.
While Harris’s position on marijuana legalization appears consistent, she has not been vocal about the issue since launching her current campaign. Her campaign website makes no mention of marijuana, and she avoided answering specific questions on the topic until now.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration began a formal rulemaking process to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, but President Biden has not called for full legalization. In contrast, Harris’s clear support for legalization stands out.
When former President Donald Trump endorsed an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in Florida, Harris’s campaign dismissed his move as “blatant pandering.” While Harris has now clarified her stance, it’s notable that her vice-presidential running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has been less direct, recently stating that marijuana legalization should be left to individual states.
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