Where Kamala Harris Stands On Marijuana As She Prepares To Accept The Democratic Presidential Nomination

Unlike Biden, Harris backs a complete end to federal cannabis prohibition. She’s called for legalization as recently as March 2024

By Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment

Voters this November will likely see the first major party presidential candidate who supports marijuana legalization at the top of the ticket, with Vice President Kamala Harris now expected to receive the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden made the historic announcement that he is exiting the race.

Unlike Biden, Harris backs a complete end to federal cannabis prohibition. She’s called for legalization as recently as March 2024, in a closed-door meeting with marijuana pardon recipients. And during her time in the Senate, Harris sponsored a comprehensive legalization bill in addition to other incremental cannabis reform measures.

But this wasn’t always her position. The current vice president has undergone a significant evolution on the issue, as she oversaw cannabis cases as a prosecutor and campaigned against a marijuana legalization ballot initiative in California while running for state attorney general. She was openly dismissive of the reform, at one point laughing off a reporter’s question about the potential policy change.

That’s no longer the case, however. Harris has framed legalization as a key criminal justice issue, calling prohibition a failed policy that has disproportionately impacted minority communities.