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If your one issue is cannabis, the choice is clear

Nobody should be a one-issue voter in 2024 unless that one issue is preserving democracy and the rule of law (or, perhaps, destroying those things if that’s your bag). But even if you insist on voting solely on cannabis reform, you have to vote for Kamala Harris.

Last week, Harris included legalizing adult-use (she used the word “recreational”) weed in a statement right alongside her other top priorities, reiterating what she has said in recent interviews and signaling that she sees legalization as being right up there with clean-energy initiatives, expanding Medicare and protecting reproductive rights.

The list contains 14 items in all. In presenting it on social media, Harris said, “Trump has an enemies list. I have a to-do list.”

Advocates of cannabis reform had previously been nervous about Harris, given that she had prosecuted people for cannabis. On the other hand, most of those people had committed other crimes. And after all, weed was illegal, and her job was law enforcement.

She came out in favor of federal legalization when she became a U.S. senator, and that’s been her position ever since. But advocates’ nervousness returned when she became vice president, and basically clammed up about the issue, no doubt mainly because her boss, President Joe Biden, was ill-disposed to the idea. But as he has on several issues, Biden finally came around to favoring at least decriminalization, and indicating his openness to legalization.

Once she hit the campaign trail in July, she put pot reform back squarely on her agenda. About 70 percent of Americans now support legalization, and Harris knows that for a not-tiny number of them, it’s an important issue.

That’s particularly true of younger voters, who might look askance at Harris’s positions on issues like Israel’s war on Gaza or her conservative-leaning border policies. Championing pot reform is kind of a no-brainer, and Harris is the candidate in this race with a fully functioning brain.

But what does this mean for the chances of actual reform? That depends on the congressional races. If Democrats take both houses of Congress, it seems likely that weed will be legalized within a matter of months. But at the moment, that seems unlikely (though perhaps less so than many seem to think, now that “the Republican Party is fascist” has in recent weeks become something like conventional wisdom).

The consensus among election forecasters, many of whom like it when there’s a tight race (and some of whom are just downright goofy), say the Democrats’ chances of taking over the Senate are pretty low. And even if they win the Senate back, they almost certainly won’t have a filibuster-proof majority, which means the Republicans will get to put the kibosh on any legalization bill that comes before them, just as they’ve been doing throughout the Biden administration. Harris has talked about filibuster reform, but at this point, there’s nothing for anyone to hang their hopes on.

In the meantime, states across the land are continuing to legalize. If voters approve any of the legalization initiatives in North Dakota, South Dakota or Florida, at least half the states will have legal, adult-use weed next year (the count is currently 24), while 38 states (and possibly Nebraska, which has medical-pot measures on its ballot this year) will have legal medical marijuana. Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania state legislature is weighing a bill to legalize by statute.

The Florida measure is interesting for a couple of reasons. Foremost, it requires a
“yes” vote of at least 60%. Recent polls indicate that the measure is likely to pass (one has 66% of respondents favoring it). Also, the measure, Amendment 13, is notable for inspiring Florida man Donald Trump to weigh in on cannabis policy. He says he’ll vote yes. Which, good, but Trump tends to capitulate to Republicans, so his vote will mean nothing if he wins the presidency and legalization lands on his desk.

We know for a fact, however, that President Harris would sign such a bill.

1 COMMENT

  1. Legalize federally now. What’s legal to possess and consume in over half of the populated areas of The United States should not make you a criminal in states still being governed by woefully ignorant prohibitionist politicians.

    Cannabis consumers in all states deserve and demand equal rights and protections under our laws that are currently afforded to the drinkers of far more dangerous and deadly, yet perfectly legal, widely accepted, endlessly advertised and even glorified as an All-American pastime, alcohol.

    Plain and simple!

    Legalize Nationwide Federally Now!

    The “War on Cannabis” has been a complete and utter failure. It is the largest component of the broader yet equally unsuccessful “War on Drugs” that has cost our country over two trillion dollars.

    Instead of The United States wasting Billions upon Billions more of our yearly tax dollars fighting a never ending “War on Cannabis”, lets generate Billions of dollars, and improve the deficit instead. Especially now, due to Covid-19. It’s a no brainer.

    The Prohibition of Cannabis has also ruined the lives of many of our loved ones. In numbers greater than any other nation, our loved ones are being sent to jail and are being given permanent criminal records. Especially, if they happen to be of the “wrong” skin color or they happen to be from the “wrong” neighborhood. Which ruin their chances of employment for the rest of their lives, and for what reason?

    Cannabis is much safer to consume than alcohol. Yet do we lock people up for choosing to drink?

    Let’s end this hypocrisy now!

    The government should never attempt to legislate morality by creating victim-less cannabis “crimes” because it simply does not work and costs the taxpayers a fortune.

    Cannabis Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think and there is nothing they can do to stop it!

    Legalize Nationwide Federally Now! Support Each and Every Cannabis Legalization Initiative!

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