Kamala Harris has previously supported federal legalization of marijuana and continues to support reform. But it's not clear exactly how far she would go if elected president. Lawmakers told Business Insider it remains unclear how she will approach the issue.
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As a U.S. senator and 2020 presidential candidate, Kamala Harris supported not only legalizing marijuana nationwide, but also ending nonviolent marijuana-related crimes.
If elected this November, the vice president, who currently serves as the party's standard-bearer, is wondering how he will tackle this issue, especially since President Joe Biden remains skeptical of marijuana. It is still unclear exactly whether the government will lean toward promoting reform. Other Democratic leaders.
Harris has not spoken at length about marijuana since she began her campaign, and there is no mention of the issue on her website's policy page. When asked for comment this week, his campaign declined to elaborate on its current position. And in a Sept. 14 interview with Spectrum News, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, did not address the issue directly, calling it a “state issue.”
But that doesn't mean it's unclear whether Harris supports marijuana reform in general. In addition to her record supporting legalization, she has served in an administration that has granted thousands of pardons for marijuana use and possession. This year, the Biden administration began the process of reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, indicating that the government considers marijuana to be less dangerous. He said it was “ridiculous” that it should be treated as a dangerous drug. Like fentanyl.
In April, Harris tweeted that no one “should have to go to jail for smoking marijuana” and said “we must continue to change our country's approach to marijuana.”
But Harris' willingness to go beyond what the Biden administration has done will not only have significant economic consequences (states will collect more than $4 billion in tax revenue in 2023, according to the Marijuana Policy Project). This election will also have political implications, considering the former president's comments. Donald Trump recently expressed support for legalization efforts.
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Interviews with more than half a dozen pro-marijuana Democrats on Capitol Hill this week revealed that many are not entirely convinced of Harris' current position.
“I have no idea where she stands on this issue,” said the lead proposal in the “Safe Banking” bill, which aims to make it easier for banks to work with Marjuana operations in states where drugs are distributed. said Democratic Congressman Jim Himes of Connecticut. It's legal.
“I think she probably supports (legalization), but I don't know,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman.
In contrast, Rep. Earl Blumenauer seemed surprised by the question. The Oregon Democrat, founder of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, argued that Harris' past co-sponsorship of pro-marijuana legislation is enough to inform her current position. “That doesn't change, you know,” Blumenauer said. “This is her record.”
Booker, a longtime champion of marijuana reform on Capitol Hill, acknowledged that Harris had introduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expiration Act in 2019, although he acknowledged that the Biden administration fell short of the bill's goals. I pointed out what I did.
“I know there are principles there that are still her principles,” Booker said, adding that Harris “has been guided by pragmatism and this system and what we can do.” ” he added.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speculated that Harris played a role in pushing the Biden administration to take a more progressive approach to marijuana, including a move to reschedule its use earlier this year.
“I don't think the president was naturally in a position to do that. I think he's a contemporary in some ways,” the New York Democrat said. “I certainly think that push came from the vice president.”
“I don't know if that will be a top priority.”
There's no denying that legalizing marijuana is popular. A 2023 Gallup poll found that 70% of Americans think the drug should be legal, including a slim majority of Republicans.
That's why Trump broke with Republican orthodoxy and announced he would vote for a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana use in Florida and said he supports safe banking legislation.
Of course, there are reasons to be skeptical of President Trump's position. As president, he wasn't particularly friendly to marijuana.
Morgan Fox, political director for the Organization of American Organizations, said, “Given that he never really touched on this issue as president, it's unclear whether he would actually do anything about it as president.'' It's impossible to judge from that.” Marijuana law reform.
Fox said that while the Biden administration has “done more on cannabis policy reform than any previous president,” the move to reschedule cannabis hasn't been enough, and as the review process moves forward, until it actually takes effect. He said it could take several months.
The only “realistic impact” would be that marijuana businesses would be able to deduct business expenses on their tax returns, Fox said.
If Harris wants to legalize it, there are two options. He must either sign federal legislation passed by Congress or move to lift the drug's expiration date himself, a process that could take years.
“I don't know if that will be a top priority, but I think a potential Harris administration would go further than a Biden administration,” Fox said.
Most senators disagreed with the question of whether Harris should incorporate marijuana's popularity into her campaign.
“I'm never against people talking about their problems, but she has a lot of work to do,” Blumenauer said. “She has a lot of people telling her what to do. I'm not going to be one of them.”
