Kamala Harris Questions Marijuana Planning at Roundtable

Vice President Kamala Harris called out what she thought was the absurdity of the marijuana timeline during a March 15 White House roundtable. As CNN reported, Harris noted that the incontrovertible fact that marijuana is classed as a more dangerous drug than fentanyl, the category of opioids currently at the middle of a renewed overdose crisis, is not sensible.

“Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair.” Harris said. “I’m sure the DEA is working as quickly as possible and will continue to do so. We can’t wait to see the results of their work.”

Harris, who at the roundtable met with rapper Fat Joe and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, in addition to individuals who have received pardons for marijuana-related convictions, alluded to the role she played as a prosecutor in putting people in prison for marijuana-related crimes .

“I believe America’s promise includes equal justice under the law. And for too many people, our criminal justice system fails to meet this basic principle.”

Harris continued: “And I say this with full knowledge of how this technique works, including my experience as a prosecutor. I imagine – I feel all of us at this table imagine – nobody should go to jail for smoking pot.

She concluded: “We must acknowledge that far too many people have gone to prison for simple possession of marijuana.”

The Biden-Harris administration is pushing to reschedule marijuana sales starting in 2022, when President Joe Biden pardoned federal crimes for basic marijuana possession and instructed state governors to follow his example. He also asked U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to start a review of the executive marijuana schedule.

Despite its approved medicinal use, marijuana is taken into account more dangerous than heroin under the present timeline.

As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Vice President Harris’ announcement represents a big change in policy for her and the newspaper said so she is guilty society an evidence of the way it got here to this conclusion.

According to , HHS has have accomplished their administrative review from 2023, however the DEA doesn’t. This understandably seems to frustrate Harris, as rescheduling marijuana sales was one in all Biden’s key campaign guarantees.

Harris noted on March 15, “I can’t emphasize enough that they need to address this as quickly as possible, and we need to make a resolution based on their findings and assessment.”

New Jersey marijuana advocate Chris Goldstein was at the roundtable and said this hearing Vice President Harris’ call to motion meant something to him. Goldstein also told the web site that while Harris’ call for legalization was not recorded by the media since it took place in a closed-door session, that doesn’t make it any less important.

“Saying those words out loud – in the Roosevelt Room – felt very meaningful to me,” Goldstein said. “The great thing about today’s meeting was that it didn’t feel like a one-time event. On everything that concerns us today – and there have been a few words about doing more of these things – the White House wants to be consistent in our commitment to this policy. It’s pardon, criminal justice and the legalization of marijuana.”

Goldstein added: “They want to be right about this, and now the White House has an important role to play and they are doing it.”