Kamala Harris to host marijuana reform event with rapper Fat Joe
(NBC/KARE) – The Biden Administration will hold its first public event on marijuana reform this week after President Joe Biden addressed the issue in his State of the Union Address.
Biden reminded the audience that he has directed his “cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana” and that he is also “expunging thousands of convictions for the mere possession.”
This marks the first time Biden has spoken about the effort to reschedule marijuana since October 2022, when he directed agencies to examine its classification within the Drug Enforcement Administration.
On Friday, the administration will bring awareness to the issue of marijuana when Vice President Kamala Harris convenes a roundtable discussion in the west wing.
Among those participants in the event will be Grammy-nominated artist Fat Joe, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and individuals who received pardons for prior cannabis convictions.
The discussion comes as the Biden-Harris re-election campaign seeks the support of critical young voters and voters of color.
In August, the Department of Health and Human Services formally recommended that the Department of Justice reclassify cannabis from schedule 1 to 3.
A national poll commissioned by the Coalition for Cannabis Scheduling Reform finds that 65% of likely voters, ages 18- to 25-years-old, expressed support for Biden’s efforts on cannabis, and 70% of Americans support federal marijuana legalization, the highest percentage ever.
