Kamala Harris’ stance on marijuana is murkier than it seems

• Kamala Harris previously supported the federal legalization of marijuana and continues to support reforms.
• But it’s unclear how far she would go if elected president.
• Lawmakers told Business Insider they weren’t sure how she would address the issue.

As a United States senator and 2020 presidential candidate, Kamala Harris has advocated not only for the nationwide legalization of marijuana, but also for the elimination of nonviolent marijuana-related crimes.

As his party’s standard-bearer, it remains unclear how the vice president would approach the issue if elected in November — especially if he would lean more toward pro-marijuana reforms than President Joe Biden, who remains more skeptical of the drug than other leaders of the Democratic Party.

Since launching her campaign, Harris has not spoken extensively about marijuana, and her website’s policy page has no mention of the issue. Her campaign declined to elaborate on her current position when reached for comment this week. And in a Sept. 14 interview with Spectrum News, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, didn’t directly address the issue, saying it was a “problem for the states.”

That’s not to say it’s unclear whether Harris supports marijuana reforms in general. Beyond her record supporting legalization, she served in an administration that issued thousands of pardons for the use and possession of marijuana. After the Biden administration initiated a process this year to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug, meaning the government considers it less dangerous, she said it was “absurd” that marijuana be treated as a dangerous drug similar to heroin. or fentanyl.

In April, Harris tweeted that no one “should go to jail for smoking weed” and said that “we must continue to change our nation’s approach to marijuana.”

But Harris’ desire to top what the Biden administration did has not only significant economic implications — states collected more than $4 billion in tax revenue in 2023, according to the Marijuana Policy Project — but also political ramifications in this election, given given that former President Donald Trump recently signaled support for legalization efforts.

Interviews with more than a half-dozen pro-marijuana Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week revealed that many aren’t entirely sure of Harris’ current position.

“I don’t know where she stands on this issue,” said Democratic Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, a key sponsor of the “secure banking” legislation aimed at making it easier for banks to work with marijuana companies in states where the drug. it is legal.

“I would suspect they would probably support (legalization), but I don’t know,” said Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, on the other hand, seemed taken aback by the question. The Oregon Democrat, who was a founder of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, insisted that Harris’ past co-sponsorship of pro-marijuana bills was enough to understand her current position. “It’s not going to change. God,” Blumenauer said. – It’s her track record.

Booker, a longtime champion of marijuana reform on Capitol Hill, pointed to Harris’ introduction of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Elimination Act in 2019, even as he acknowledged that the Biden administration did not go as far as it would have done. bill.

“I know there are principles there that are still her principles,” Booker said, adding that Harris was “driven by pragmatism and this institution and what we can do.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speculated that Harris played a role in pushing the Biden administration to take a more progressive approach to marijuana, including the move to reschedule the drug earlier this year.

“I don’t think the president was naturally positioned to do that. I think he is, in many ways, of his generation,” the New York Democrat said. “I think that push came from the vice president.”

“I don’t know if this would be a top priority issue”

There is no denying that legalizing marijuana is popular. A 2023 Gallup poll found that 70 percent of Americans believed the drug should be legal, including most Republicans.

That’s why Trump broke with GOP orthodoxy and announced he would vote for a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana use in Florida and said he would support safe banking laws.

Of course, there are grounds for skepticism about Trump’s position — as president, he hasn’t been particularly marijuana-friendly.

“It’s impossible to tell from supporting statements whether or not he would take any action on this issue as president, given that he really didn’t touch it at all in his last administration,” said Morgan Fox, political director of the National Organization for Marijuana Law Reform.

Fox said that while the Biden administration “has done more to reform cannabis policy than any presidency before,” the marijuana rescheduling movement has not gone far enough — and it could be months before it takes effect as the review process is ongoing.

The only “practical impact,” Fox said, is that marijuana businesses will now be allowed to deduct business expenses on their tax returns.

If Harris were to pursue legalization, there are two ways he could do so: by signing federal legislation passed by Congress or by moving to defund the drug program, though that process could take years.

“I don’t know if this would be a top priority issue, but I think we’re going to see a potential Harris administration go a lot further than the Biden administration did,” Fox said.

As for whether Harris should embrace the popularity of marijuana in her campaign, most lawmakers balked.

“I’m never against people talking about my problems, but she has a lot on her plate,” Blumenauer said. “He has a lot of people telling him what to do. I will not be one of them.”