Politics

VP Harris discusses marijuana decriminalization with NBC’s Seth Meyers

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Vice President Kamala Harris remains steadfast in her beliefs that no-one should be incarcerated for smoking cannabis.

Harris appeared on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Myers in her first late night TV interview since taking office. Harris was asked about the next steps after President Joe Biden said he would pardon thousands of people who had been convicted for possession of cannabis.

Harris said the White House’s official stance would be to ask governors to take action, but that Congress should also step in and form a “uniform approach” on the drug.

“Ultimately, though, as with so many issues, if Congress acts, then there is a uniform approach to this and so many other issues, but Congress needs to act,” Harris said, per the Daily Mail. “We are 29 days away from the midterms. Ask who you’re voting for, where they stand on this, and I encourage you to vote accordingly.”

“And so we start with that, and the president has been very clear – we’re urging governors and states to take our lead and to pardon people who have been made criminals for possession of marijuana.”

She added, “Ultimately as with so many issues, if congress acts, then there is a uniform approach to this. Ask who you vote for where they stand on this and vote accordingly.”

Harris took a similar stance during the weekend when she addressed an audience in Austin at Texas University.

“We are also changing, y’all might have heard that this week, the federal government’s approach to marijuana. Because the bottom line there is: Nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed,” the vice president said.

Harris joked in a radio interview that of course she smoked pot. This was while she was still in the running for Democrat nominee.

“Half my family’s from Jamaica,” Harris said at the time. “Are you kidding me?”

According to Business Insider, Harris’ father, Donald Harris, found her joke to be upsetting.

“My dear departed grandmothers (whose extraordinary legacy I described in a recent essay on this website), as well as my deceased parents, must be turning in their grave right now to see their family’s name, reputation and proud Jamaican identity being connected, in any way, jokingly or not with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics,” he said in a statement made to Kingston-based Jamaica Global Online.

ARTICLE: PAUL MURDOCH

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE

PHOTO CREDITS: BUSINESS INSIDER

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Paul Murdoch

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

Paul, 37, is from Scotland in the UK, but currently lives and works in Bangkok. Paul has worked in different industries such as telemarketing, retail, hospitality, farming, insurance, and teaching, where he works now. He teaches at an all-girls High School in Bangkok. “It’s a lot of work, but I love my job.” Paul has an active interest in politics. His reason for writing for FBA is to offer people the facts and allow them to make up their own minds. Whilst he believes opinion columns have their place, it is also important that people can have accurate news with no bias.

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