Kamala Harris Says ‘We Need To Legalize’ Marijuana For First Time As Democratic Presidential Nominee

“Actually this is not a new position for me,” Harris, who sponsored a federal cannabis legalization bill as a U.S. senator, said. “I have felt for a long time we need to legalize it. So that’s where I am on that.”

By Tom Angell, Marijuana Moment

Vice President Kamala Harris says it’s time to legalize marijuana—marking the first time she has publicly discussed her position on cannabis since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.

“I just feel strongly, people should not be going to jail for smoking weed,” she said in an interview with the All the Smoke podcast that was released on Monday. “And we know historically what that has meant and who has gone to jail.”

“Second, 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 told hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, who are former NBA players.

“Actually this is not a new position for me,” Harris, who sponsored a federal cannabis legalization bill as a U.S. senator, said. “I have felt for a long time we need to legalize it. So that’s where I am on that.”

Until now, Harris had not made her position on marijuana part of her current campaign for the White House.