Vice President Kamala Harris, who oversaw nearly 2,000 marijuana-related convictions as San Francisco's top prosecutor, is now promoting legal cannabis entrepreneurship for the American people.
Harris is played Her experience as a campaign prosecutor includes overseeing more than 1,900 marijuana-related convictions in San Francisco during her tenure as District Attorney for the City of San Francisco from 2004 to 2010. According to In response to a 2019 report by the Mercury News, a local Bay Area news organization. Harris, who is currently embroiled in a fierce presidential race against former President Donald Trump, is working to legalize recreational marijuana and allow Americans to take advantage of the industry's economic opportunities. .
Notably, this proposal is similar to the Harris campaign's recently announcedOpportunity Agenda for Black Men” Harris strongly suggested on social media Tuesday that the initiative would primarily benefit Black Americans. post. However, the Harris campaign withdrew its new proposal on Wednesday after receiving reports that: criticism threats of future lawsuits for bringing race into economic policy; tell The Wall Street Journal said the proposals contained in the “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men” are actually intended to be accessible to all Americans, regardless of race. .
“Vice President Harris uses her experience throughout her career and insights from her Economic Opportunity Tour to speak today about how Black men can achieve economic freedom, lower costs, and better provide for themselves and their families. We are developing an Opportunity Agenda to give them the tools to feed their children and protect their rights.”Opportunity Agenda for Black Men”, the Harris campaign’s new economic plan. “This groundbreaking agenda includes legalizing recreational marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in this new industry. ” (Related: Kamala Harris appears to be proposing new race-based payments to help black men who are falling behind)
No one should go to jail for smoking marijuana. pic.twitter.com/D932NCGmPP
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 15, 2024
Specifically, Harris' office has filed 1,956 misdemeanor or felony convictions for marijuana possession, cultivation, and sale while she was San Francisco's top prosecutor, according to the Mercury News. The sentences are final, including those who were also convicted of more serious crimes. During her tenure, 45 people were sent to state prison for marijuana-related crimes, but that figure does not include those who might have been sentenced to serve time in county jails.
According to the Mercury News, some attorneys who worked with Harris during her time as district attorney said that Harris had a relatively lenient approach to marijuana crimes at the time. But at least one defense attorney who represented people charged with marijuana offenses by Harris' office remembers Harris as more aggressive than her predecessor, former San Francisco District Attorney Terrence Hallinan. are.
“Some of the cases that Terrence Hallinan would have refused to prosecute were [Harris] “No, we are going to prosecute these as felonies,” defense attorney J. David Nick told the Mercury News. Nick recalls that one of the major factors behind the change was the police's desire to crack down on drug dealers more effectively.
According to the Mercury News, Harris appears to have a higher rate of convictions on marijuana charges than Hallinan. Convictions have dropped significantly since Harris left office, in part as a result of a new state policy that redefines some marijuana crimes as violations equivalent to parking tickets, rather than misdemeanors.
The vice president has supported marijuana legalization since 2018, but Harris actively opposed a recreational marijuana ballot plan in 2010 and then a second marijuana plan in 2016, according to the Mercury News. He was not involved in the dispute over the matter.
Harris and other proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana argue that it will create economic opportunity and reduce conflicts with the criminal justice system for black Americans. But legal cannabis hasn't always been a total success in places it's been tried before, such as New York. According to In the New York Times.
According to the NYT, illegal marijuana dealers flooded New York City immediately after recreational legalization, eliminating legal dealers in the process while putting marijuana products into the hands of young people. Additionally, some evidence is emerging that the drug may not be as harmless as its proponents claim, including recent studies linking marijuana use in teens to psychotic disorders.
The Harris campaign has released a new policy memo aimed at black Americans following recent polls showing that Harris is struggling to win the overwhelming support of black men in the 2024 presidential race. Announced.
Former President Barack Obama gained 81 points among black men ages 18 to 44 in 2012, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gained 63 points in 2016, and President Joe Biden won the vote in 2020. scored 53 points. Polls now show Ms. Harris leading Mr. Trump by about 41 points, with just a few weeks left until voters head to the polls.
Harris' campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
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