Marijuana reform was discussed in the Vice Presidential debate last week. It is a sign of how important this subject is to so many people that it came up.
When race and the criminal justice system were being discussed, Harris stated that, if elected, she and presidential nominee Joe Biden “will decriminalize marijuana and we will expunge the records of those who have been convicted of marijuana.”
Harris also promised that their administration would implement a plan to track police and to ban private prisons and cash bail. Currently, she is the lead Senate sponsor of a bill to federally legalize marijuana and fund programs to repair the harms created by the war on drugs.
Though Biden differs with Harris in that he opposes legalizing marijuana, he backs decriminalizing possession, expunging past records, modestly rescheduling the drug under federal law, and letting states set their own laws and legalizing medical cannabis.
Since becoming Biden’s running mate, Harris has focused her public marijuana comments on the narrower issue of decriminalization and expunging records, and has not gone further by discussing full legalization that would enact the more far-reaching change.
Why Marijuana Reform Matters
This is a step in the right direction. Decriminalization is not full legalization but it gets us much closer. It begins to address the many social injustices that have occurred as a result of Marijuana prohibition. Expunging marijuana arrests from peoples records and criminal justice reform is also very significant.
These steps could even have the effect of opening the door to marijuana banking by way of the Safe Banking Act which would have a huge impact on the marijuana industry. Allowing Marijuana businesses to access safe banking provides solutions to the many financial hurdles that these companies have faced.
In Conclusion
With the election only a few weeks away now, it is exciting to speculate on how marijuana reform could change the landscape of the industry and we can’t wait to see where this all leads. In the meantime, we will watch the process carefully and be sure to vote.
