Sen. Kamala Harris is teaming up with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler to introduce legislation on Tuesday that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and expunge past cannabis-related convictions.
Ms. Harris, a 2020 Democratic presidential contender who had previously been slow to back full-blown legalization of marijuana, now says that “times have changed.”
“We need to start regulating marijuana, and expunge marijuana convictions from the records of millions of Americans so they can get on with their lives,” the California Democrat said.
The legislation would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act and allow states to set their own policies on legalization.
It would also set up a 5% sales tax on marijuana and marijuana products, with the resulting money to go toward programs intended to help people “most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs,” as well as loans to help businesses in the cannabis industry, according to Ms. Harris’s office.
The bill also bars people from being denied federal public benefits, like housing, based on their past marijuana use.
Other Democratic presidential contenders have generally supported the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Ms. Harris is a co-sponsor of legislation from Sen. Cory Booker that would de-schedule marijuana from the federal list of banned substances and expunge convictions of people who have faced marijuana-related charges.
Mr. Booker is also a co-sponsor of the legislation Ms. Harris and Mr. Nadler rolled out on Tuesday, as is Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, another 2020 presidential candidate.
With the new legislation, Ms. Harris has a powerful ally in Mr. Nadler. A judiciary subcommittee held a hearing earlier this month on marijuana policy.
“Despite the legalization of marijuana in states across the country, those with criminal convictions for marijuana still face second class citizenship,” said Mr. Nadler, New York Democrat.
Pro-marijuana groups hailed the introduction of the bill.
Justin Strekal, political director, of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said it was unprecedented for a judiciary committee chairman to introduce a bill to decriminalize marijuana.
“At a time when the state you live in can determine whether cannabis can ruin your life or make you a millionaire, now more than ever we must end the national prohibition of marijuana,” Mr. Strekal said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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