According to Joe Biden’s Vice Presidential pick Senator Kamala Harris (D), Biden will be pursuing marijuana decriminalization if elected.
Speaking about marijuana decriminalization and other drug policy reforms during their first joint interview as a ticket this weekend, Harris talked about policing reform and said under a Biden administration, there will be a “policy that is going to be about decriminalizing marijuana.”
This was the first time both Biden and Harris had addressed drug policy reform.
During the ABC News interview, Biden said, “we’re going to make sure that we change the entire system in the way in which we deal with, with criminal justice from punishment to rehabilitate, no one should be going to jail because they have a drug addiction.” He also said that those individuals “should be going into mandatory drug treatment, that’s why I set up drug courts.”
According to Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a chief advocate for marijuana reform, who spoke to Marijuana Moment, he thinks Biden will be a “constructive player” on the issue if elected; however, he’s also criticized the nominee’s simple decriminalization plan as “meaningless.”
Recently President Trump said that placing cannabis legalization initiatives on state ballots increases Democratic turnout in elections, and he warned GOP policymakers not to give them that advantage.