In a bid to win the support of Black men, an electorate reportedly on the fence for voting for her, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, is promising federal legalization for cannabis.
If elected, Harris plans to “break down unjust legal barriers that hold Black men and other Americans back by legalizing marijuana nationally, working with Congress to ensure that the safe cultivation, distribution, and possession of recreational marijuana is the law of the land,” the campaign announced in a public statement.
This would be a step forward from the Biden administration’s current stance on cannabis, which includes pardoning people convicted of marijuana possession and possibly reclassifying the plant from a Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 designation.
In addition to the cannabis proposal, Harris’ plan calls for 1 million fully forgivable loans of up to $20,000 to Black entrepreneurs, according to the campaign.
Harris’ pledge of offering full legal access to cannabis has elicited mostly positive reactions from cannabis leaders.
Gibran Washington, CEO of multistate operator Ethos Cannabis, hailed the Harris plan as a “landmark shift that will catalyze both industry growth and scientific advancement.”
For Washington, the Harris stance “will unlock unprecedented opportunities for rigorous research into cannabis’ vast therapeutic potential as well as help the current legal industry thrive. Legalization will not only foster innovation but also dismantle barriers to patient access, allowing us to revolutionize healthcare with evidence-based cannabis therapies. This forward-thinking approach aligns perfectly with our mission to enhance patient outcomes and redefine the boundaries of modern medicine.”
Anthony Coniglio, CEO and president of NewLake Capital Partners, a provider of real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators, expressed cautious optimism. For him, the real issue would be the legislative action, which might be problematic as it would require bipartisan Congressional support.
“As we’ve seen during Biden’s presidency, executive power is limited, and lasting change for the cannabis industry will require congressional action,” he said. “While we applaud Harris’ commitment to addressing the harm caused by the War on Drugs and the disproportionate impact of mass incarceration on communities of color, it remains unclear if there will be enough bipartisan support to fully realize her reform proposals.”
To read more, click on Forbes