Kamala Harris once opposed legalizing marijuana — now she wants to decriminalize it
WASHINGTON – Sen. Kamala Harris, a top-tier contender in the crowded 2020 Democratic primary field, introduced legislation Tuesday that would decriminalize and tax marijuana — a move that is at odds with the California Democrat's record.
Part of the impetus for legalizing marijuana is a concern that people of color, mostly black Americans, are disproportionately targeted and charged for marijuana-related offenses. African Americans are 3.73 times more likely than whites to be arrested for pot, according to the ACLU.More: President Trump's job approval rating reaches high mark in NPR/PBS/Marist poll after racist tweets
While California attorney general, Harris declined to comment in an August 2014 interview with a local Sacramento TV station about her then-opponent's stance on legalizing recreational marijuana. Just weeks after announcing, Harris said in an interview on "the Breakfast Club" -- an urban radio show well-known in the black community that nearly every 2020 Democrat has visited -- that she smoked a joint while in college.
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey in February reintroduced his 2017 legislation that would legalize weed across the nation. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Harris all co-sponsored the bill this year.
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