In a surprising turn of events, Vice President Kamala Harris, who previously oversaw more than 1,900 marijuana convictions during her tenure as San Francisco District Attorney, is now promising to legalize marijuana to secure votes from black men.
This move comes as Harris seeks to bridge the growing gender gap revealed by recent polls, which indicate that the Democratic Party's support among men is not as robust as expected.
According to The Post Millennial, Harris recently posted a list of policy initiatives specifically targeting black men. One of these initiatives includes a pledge to "legalize recreational marijuana and create opportunities for black Americans to succeed in this new industry." In a subsequent post, she reiterated her commitment to this cause, stating that "no one should go to jail for smoking weed."
This pledge was made ahead of an interview with radio host Charlamagne tha God, where Harris faced scrutiny for her past remarks about smoking marijuana in college. This statement had previously sparked an online backlash, with critics accusing her of hypocrisy given her prosecutorial record.
Charlamagne directly addressed this controversy during the interview, stating, "One of the biggest pieces of misinformation, one of the biggest allegations against you is that you targeted and locked up thousands of Black men in San Francisco. Some say you did it to boost your career. Some say you did it out of pure hate for black men. Please tell us the facts."
Harris defended herself, responding, "Its just simply not true. And public defenders who're around those days will tell you I was the most progressive prosecutor in California on marijuana cases and would not send people to jail for simple possession of weed and as vice president have been a champion for bringing marijuana down on the schedule."
Despite Harris's defense, her record indicates that over 1,900 individuals were convicted for marijuana offenses under her leadership. Furthermore, when she campaigned for California Attorney General in 2010, she opposed a ballot measure that would have legalized marijuana use in the state, as reported by Mercury News.
The upcoming election has seen both candidates taking stances on marijuana legalization. Former President Donald Trump has expressed support for state-level legalization. Last month, he endorsed Floridas ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana, asserting that individuals should not face jail time for personal use.
Trump stated on Truth Social, I believe it is time to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for small amounts of marijuana for personal use. As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens.
As it stands, 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana, and an additional dozen permit the drug for medicinal use. This issue continues to be a significant point of contention and discussion in the political landscape.
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