The U.S. Presidential election is just weeks away, with both candidates and voters preparing for the final stretch. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump delivered notable performances during the recent debate in Philadelphia, yet some important issues remain untouched. One such issue is the potential federal legalisation of marijuana, where the two candidates may find more common ground than differences.
This election could bring about long-awaited changes to the federal ban on recreational marijuana use, which has been in place for over a century. Currently, 24 states and the District of Columbia—representing 53% of the nation’s population—have legalised and regulate marijuana sales similarly to alcohol, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, an organisation supporting cannabis legalisation. Additionally, seven states have reduced penalties for small possession, and 38 states along with the District of Columbia have laws allowing medical use of marijuana.
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A Gallup poll from last year revealed that around 70% of American adults believe marijuana should be legal, marking the highest level of support since the firm first polled on the issue in 1969. With the shifting public sentiment, the upcoming election on November 5 promises to be interesting, as both candidates seem to be moving in a similar direction on this matter despite their numerous disagreements.
Kamala Harris’ Position On Legalizing Marijuana
Vice President Harris has had a complex history with marijuana legalisation. Although she introduced a Senate bill in 2019 to federally decriminalise marijuana and acknowledged that people shouldn’t be incarcerated for possession, her earlier stance was much stricter.
As San Francisco District Attorney, Harris’s office convicted nearly 2,000 individuals for marijuana-related offenses, according to reports. In her 2010 campaign for California Attorney General, she strongly opposed recreational marijuana legalisation. However, by 2019, her stance had changed dramatically. She publicly supported legalisation and even admitted to past personal use during her presidential campaign. Since then, she has backed policies and pardons for individuals convicted of marijuana-related crimes.
Harris has stated that nobody should be jailed for smoking marijuana and emphasised the need to address the many who have been imprisoned for simple possession. With her in office, it’s reasonable to expect the issue of marijuana legalisation to gain traction.
Donald Trump’s Position On Legalizing Marijuana
Former President Donald Trump’s stance on marijuana has been more ambiguous. He has rarely taken a clear position either for or against legalisation. While he pardoned a drug dealer serving a life sentence during his presidency, he also suggested harsher penalties for drug dealers, including the death penalty, in 2023.
However, just recently, Trump expressed his most definitive support for marijuana legalisation. On Truth Social, he stated that he would vote in favor of Florida’s ballot initiative to legalise marijuana. He argued that it was time to stop unnecessary arrests for small amounts of marijuana used for personal purposes and called for smart regulations to ensure access to safe, tested products for adults. Additionally, Trump expressed support for reclassifying marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug and working with Congress on laws related to safe banking for state-authorised cannabis companies.
While the outcome remains uncertain, there is growing optimism that federal marijuana legalisation could happen in the coming years. The November 5 election will play a key role in shaping this future.
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