Harris Pledges To Legalize Marijuana And Create Opportunities For ‘All Americans’ To Enter Industry In Closing Argument Before Election

As part of her closing argument before Tuesday’s election, Vice President Kamala Harris is reaffirming her vow to federally legalize marijuana if elected and ensure that there are opportunities for “all Americans to succeed in this new industry.”

As Americans prepare to head to the polls, they will be deciding between two major party candidates who support legalization of cannabis at some level—a first in U.S. history. But Harris, the Democratic nominee, has been highlighting her marijuana reform position more often in recent weeks.

Harris said in a social media post on Sunday that she will “legalize recreational marijuana, break down unjust legal barriers, and create opportunities for all Americans to succeed in this new industry” if voters put her in the Oval Office.

While legalization is generally more popular among Democratic voters, the issue has grown increasingly bipartisan, making it an appealing policy to campaign amid an especially tight race.

A Gallup poll released last week found that 68 percent of Americans back legalization, including majorities across the political aisle.

I will legalize recreational marijuana, break down unjust legal barriers, and create opportunities for all Americans to succeed in this new industry. pic.twitter.com/MuzCIpr3oP

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 3, 2024

That said, another recent survey found that Americans overwhelmingly believe that Harris would be more beneficial for the cannabis industry if elected president than Trump.

A separate poll found that a majority of voters who identify as cannabis consumers say they’ll be casting their vote for Harris. Still, two in five cannabis consumers say they’ll be backing Trump.

Last month, Harris also included legalizing marijuana as one of the top items on her “to-do list” if she wins the presidential election.

That came just weeks after the vice president pledged to federally legalize marijuana for the first time since becoming the party’s nominee, promising that access to cannabis will become “the law of the land.”

If elected, she will “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 Harris campaign said.

Also, in September, Harris made clear she still supports legalizing cannabis, which she previously pushed for as a senator but had not publicly discussed since becoming President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020.

Separately, she also recently said that part of the reason for the delay in the administration’s current marijuana rescheduling effort is federal bureaucracy that “slows things down,” including at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), has also been talking cannabis policy on the campaign trail. Last month, for example, he stressed that marijuana legalization must be coupled with policies that give those who’ve been disproportionately targeted by criminalization “the first shot to make money” in the legal cannabis industry.

While Harris and Walz are aligned in their belief that prohibition should be replaced with a system of legalization and regulation, the governor has largely focused on the rights of states to set their own cannabis laws, rather than weigh in on federal legalization prospects.

Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), has voiced support for letting states decide on their own marijuana policies, though he’s also said they should increase enforcement activities and complained about the smell of cannabis multiple times. Additionally, he’s repeatedly sounded the alarm about fentanyl-laced marijuana, though he more recently conceded that the issue isn’t widespread.

The Harris–Walz campaign, meanwhile, has accused Trump of lying about his support for marijuana reform—arguing that his “blatant pandering” runs counter to his administration’s record on cannabis.

Following Trump’s recent announcement of support for a Florida cannabis legalization ballot measure, the Democratic campaign has been working to communicate to voters that, while in office, Trump “took marijuana reform backwards.”

Also, last month, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said Harris’s support for marijuana legalization is part of the nominee’s “freedom agenda.” He made the remarks at an event hosted by musician and marijuana icon Willie Nelson.

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