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Kamala Harris’s recent push for cannabis reform is raising eyebrows, especially considering her history as a prosecutor who once took a hardline stance against marijuana. While she’s now promising federal cannabis legalization as part of her 2024 election campaign, many are questioning if this is just political pandering.
Back in the day, Harris wasn’t exactly a friend to the cannabis community. As San Francisco’s District Attorney (2004-2011) and later as California’s Attorney General (2011-2017), she oversaw the prosecution of over 1,900 people for marijuana-related offenses, some of whom were imprisoned for minor possession charges. Harris opposed the 2010 California ballot initiative to legalize recreational cannabis and even laughed at the idea during a campaign debate, while her Republican opponent supported reform. Her record of strict enforcement earned her nicknames like “Kamala the Cop,” painting her as part of the problem when it came to harsh drug policies.
Fast forward to today, and Harris is singing a different tune. She co-sponsored the MORE Act, which aims to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level and expunge past convictions. She also backs the SAFE Banking Act, helping cannabis businesses gain access to financial services. The sudden shift in her views seems more about political survival than genuine change. After all, public support for legalization has surged in recent years, with nearly 70% of Americans in favor.
Many cannabis users and advocates see through this and feel it’s a cynical move to win over young voters, particularly communities of color, who were disproportionately impacted by the very policies Harris once supported. Her current stance might look progressive, but it’s hard to forget the thousands of lives affected by her past actions as a prosecutor, especially when these actions stand in stark contrast to her recent advocacy for reform.
In the end, this about-face seems less like true evolution and more like a calculated political move to win favor. Whether voters buy it remains to be seen, but it’s clear Harris’s cannabis reform agenda is a sharp pivot from her days of putting people behind bars for the same thing she’s now advocating to legalize.