Kamala Harris backs federal legalization of weed after convicting 1,900 offenders as San Francisco DA

Despite her past record as San Francisco District Attorney where she oversaw more than 1,900 marijuana convictions, Vice President Kamala Harris is urging black men to vote for her by promising to legalize marijuana if elected president. Harris has been making efforts to engage black male voters as polls reveal a growing gender gap, with many men not showing the level of support the Democratic Party had anticipated.

On Monday, Harris posted a list of policy initiatives aimed specifically at black men. One of these promises was to "legalize recreational marijuana and create opportunities for black Americans to succeed in this new industry." On Tuesday, she posted again, reiterating her pledge to "legalize recreational marijuana," adding that "no one should go to jail for smoking weed."

Harris's Tuesday post came ahead of an interview with radio host Charlamagne tha God. It was Charlamagne’s program in 2019 on which Harris gained public scrutiny for joking about smoking marijuana while in college, a remark that sparked online backlash with critics accusing her of hypocrisy due to her prosecutorial record.

During her recent interview with Charlamagne, he addressed this controversy directly. "One of the biggest pieces of misinformation, one of the biggest allegations against you is that you targeted and locked up thousands of Black men in San Francisco," he said. "Some say you did it to boost your career. Some say you did it out of pure hate for black men. Please tell us the facts." 

"It’s just simply not true," Harris responded. "And public defenders who're around those days will tell you I was the most progressive prosecutor in California on marijuana cases and would not send people to jail for simple possession of weed and as vice president have been a champion for bringing marijuana down on the schedule."

Despite her defense, Harris’s record shows that over 1,900 people were convicted for marijuana offenses under her watch. Additionally, when she ran for California Attorney General in 2010, she opposed a ballot measure that would have legalized marijuana use in the state, according to Mercury News.

Both candidates in the upcoming election have taken positions on marijuana legalization. Former President Donald Trump has shown support for legalization at the state level. Last month, he endorsed Florida’s ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana, stating that individuals should not be jailed for personal use.

“I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens.”

Currently, 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana, and another dozen allow the drug to be used for medicinal purposes.