. Others took those comments—and her more recent record—as a positive sign for the future of cannabis legalization.
“She’s been very supportive of it, and obviously there’s going to be a debate in the Biden administration,” Wyden said. “The issue that I think is going to become increasingly relevant is with millions and millions of Americans already having gone to the polls to vote in line with the kind of approach the Majority Leader, Sen. Booker and I are talking about, that strengthens our hand.”
Blumenauer, noting that he considers a day that he doesn’t get to advocate for either cannabis or bicycles a day wasted, emphasized the importance of allowing Biden the opportunity to evolve on the issue without a pressure campaign—particularly when the issue in question is backed by public polling, scientific consensus and political common sense.
“We know where Vice President Harris is on this issue, but the first step is Congress doing its job to get cannabis reform to the president’s desk,” said Rep. Barbara Lee , co-chair of the Cannabis Caucus. “My focus remains on finishing our job in the House and continuing to build momentum in the Senate so we can pass a comprehensive bill to send to President Biden to sign it into law. This is a racial justice movement that has been long in the making. It’s time for Congress to catch up.
“In terms of making the case to Biden generally, I think the social justice, economic opportunity, and public safety benefits are impossible to ignore, as are the failure of the status quo and the harms it is causing,” Fox said. “There are many people in proximity to the president, particularly Vice President Harris, who are strongly in favor of descheduling cannabis, and I expect them to be a positive influence as legislation gets closer to his desk.