Vice President Harris speaks at a roundtable on marijuana reform that included rapper Fats Joe and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Kent Nishimura/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
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Kent Nishimura/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Vice President Harris speaks at a roundtable on marijuana reform that included rapper Fats Joe and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
Kent Nishimura/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Vice President Harris on Friday urged the Drug Enforcement Administration to work as shortly as attainable on its assessment of whether or not to reschedule marijuana as a less-dangerous drug.
Harris made her feedback throughout a roundtable dialog about marijuana reform with rapper Fats Joe, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and several other individuals who have obtained pardons for prior marijuana convictions.
“No person ought to need to go to jail for smoking weed,” Harris stated, framing the problem of marijuana reform as a felony justice concern that disproportionately hurts Black and Latino males.
This was a marketing campaign promise from 2019
Throughout his 2019 marketing campaign, Biden pledged he would decriminalize marijuana and expunge prior convictions for pot use. He stated he would assist legalization for medical use — however depart choices about leisure use as much as the states.
Biden has pardoned folks convicted of straightforward possession underneath federal legislation and D.C. statute — although the overwhelming majority of convictions occur on the state stage. Harris praised Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for addressing the problem in his state, and inspired different states to observe his lead.
Marijuana is presently labeled as a Schedule I drug — as harmful as heroin — which Harris referred to as “absurd” and “unfair.” Throughout his marketing campaign, Biden stated he would reschedule it.
In 2022, weeks earlier than the midterm elections, Biden introduced that he had requested Well being and Human Providers and the Justice Division to assessment that classification. HHS completed its half of the assessment final 12 months, however the DEA has not.
“I can not emphasize sufficient that they should get to it as shortly as attainable, and we have to have a decision primarily based on their findings and their evaluation,” Harris stated on Friday.
Biden talked about the problem in his State of the Union handle
Biden talked about marijuana reform in his State of the Union handle, saying “Nobody must be jailed for utilizing or possessing marijuana.”
The problem polls significantly effectively with younger voters — a demographic that has develop into much less enthused about Biden particularly over the best way he has dealt with Israel’s warfare in Gaza.
Marijuana reform additionally got here up this week in Milwaukee, when Biden toured his celebration’s marketing campaign headquarters for Wisconsin. One supporter held up an indication praising Biden for his point out of the problem within the State of the Union.
“I am taking good care of that,” Biden stated.
