Vice President Kamala Harris says the Biden administration isn’t focused on following through on its marijuana reform pledges because it’s too overwhelmed with responding to the coronavirus pandemic. In an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, the vice president was asked about cannabis policy and said, “we haven’t yet taken that on” despite campaign promises to push for reforms like decriminalization and expunging prior marijuana records. “Honestly, right now, we’ve been focused on getting people food, helping them stay in their apartments or in their homes, getting kids back to school, getting shots into arms,” she said. “That has been all-consuming.” This is the first time either Harris or President Joe Biden has publicly talked about cannabis since the November election. But while it’s the case that the administration has prioritized addressing the COVID-19 crisis, it’s also true that the president has undertaken efforts on other issues such as the environment, infrastructure, and immigration—all things that were the subject of campaign pledges that have now begun being translated into action.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 04/06/2021 11:20:00