Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., wants to legalize marijuana across the nation.
“I believe we need to legalize marijuana,” the 2020 Democratic hopeful said an appearance Monday on “The Breakfast Club” — a nationally syndicated morning radio program based in New York City. “And we need to research the impact of weed on a developing brain.”
The call for pot legalization by Harris, a former California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney, provide a potentially distinctive issue to tout separating her from the growing Democratic presidential field.
In California, her home state, the recreational use of marijuana became legal in 2018. Several states have also legalized marijuana for recreational or medicinal use though it remains strictly prohibited at the federal level.
Harris isn’t the only pro-weed 2020 Democrat.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, received the NORML Rufus King Sr. Public Leadership Award for her outstanding public leadership in marijuana law reform, according to Greenentrepreneur.com.
In Harris’ case, she quipped her views of recreational weed use stems from her experience around the substance.
“Look, I joke about it and have joked about it,” she said. “Half my family is from Jamaica, are you kidding me?”
Later in the interview, Harris admitted that she smoked a joint while she was in college. Harris added she “did inhale” — recalling former President Bill Clinton’s claim he “didn’t inhale” when he smoked the drug.
“I think that gives a lot of people joy,” Harris said. “And we need more joy.”
[Opinion: In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis is setting the right tone on medical marijuana]
