The Vice President of the United States and Democratic candidate for the White House, Kamala Harris, has taken a new step to try to regain the vote of African American men, some of whom are leaning towards her rival, Donald Trump, by stating that she will work to legalize recreational marijuana, which is still illegal in some states and at the federal level, as reported by Efe.
"I will work to decriminalize the recreational use of marijuana because we know how those policies have disproportionately affected Black men," Harris stated in an interview with African American radio host Charlamagne tha God in Detroit, Michigan.
A clash of identities between Trump's and Harris's two Americas
Harris emphasized that no one should go to jail for cannabis possession and recalled that when she was district attorney in San Francisco (2004-2011) and attorney general of California (2011-2017), she was seen as "progressive" for not sending individuals to prison for simple marijuana possession.
The Vice President has led efforts in the current Administration for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reclassify marijuana, which had been considered as addictive as LSD or heroin.
This classification, which labeled marijuana as a highly addictive drug, led to harsher sentences for those who consumed or sold it, resulting in disproportionate incarceration of Hispanic and African American minorities.
Currently, recreational marijuana use is legal in 24 states and in the District of Columbia, the seat of the capital Washington. Additionally, 38 of the 50 states allow its medicinal use, although it remains illegal in some states and at the federal level.
Repairing historical damages from slavery
During the interview, Harris also discussed compensations for the African American community as a way to repair the historical damages caused by slavery.
When one listener asked if she supported this measure, a historical claim of the Black community, Harris responded that the issue should be studied. "It's something that needs to be analyzed. I have no doubts about that. My position has always been clear," she stated.
With 20 days left until the elections, Harris is seeking to connect with the Black community, at a time when polls suggest that some African American men may lean towards Trump or decide not to vote.
Harris and other party leaders are trying to address this phenomenon and win back a demographic that has traditionally voted Democrat. In fact, last week, former President Barack Obama addressed a group of African American men at Harris's campaign office in Pittsburgh.
Obama pointed out that some "brothers" seemed to have difficulties voting for a woman and that support for Harris was lower than what he received when he ran for election, urging them to back the Vice President and to go out and vote.
On Monday, Harris unveiled a plan with specific measures for African American men, which includes granting one million loans to African American entrepreneurs, safeguarding assets in cryptocurrencies, and investing more in training and accreditation programs in Black communities.
The plan also includes more investments in the study of diseases that disproportionately affect African American men, such as prostate cancer or diabetes.