Vice President Kamala Harris says “nobody” should go to jail for “smoking weed,” but Twitter users are highlighting a big problem with her declaration.
During an event on Sunday, Harris deployed some kind of bizarre mixture of a Long Island and southern accent as she said, “Speaking of the system of justice. We are also changing — y’all might of heard that his week — the federal government’s approach to marijuana.”
“Because the bottom line there is nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed!” she added.
Watch the video below:
VP HARRIS: "Nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed." pic.twitter.com/yHDGeUyQ9e
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 9, 2022
Her comments come after President Joe Biden announced he is issuing pardons for thousands of people convicted for possession of marijuana under federal law.
Additionally, he said the federal government would review whether marijuana should be in the same legal category as heroin.
Harris might have been hoping her comments would draw cheers and boost support for her and the administration. However, Twitter users logged on to point out the hypocrisy in her comments.
Todd Hagopian, the treasurer for the national Libertarian Party, tweeted, “Remember when [Tulsi Gabbard] called Kamala out for her putting away thousands of people for smoking weed and then laughed about smoking weed in her past? Pepperidge Farm remembers.”
Remember when @TulsiGabbard called Kamala out for her putting away thousands of people for smoking weed and then laughed about smoking weed in her past?
— Libertarian-In-Chief (@ToddHagopian) October 10, 2022
Pepperidge Farm remembers https://t.co/inuJwnZVZ2
Conservative commentator Stephen Miller asked, “She knows she’s Kamala Harris right?”
She knows she's Kamala Harris right? https://t.co/RkPIdrSx4V
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 10, 2022
Mark Meuser, a candidate for Senate in California, suggested, “Clearly, Kamala has forgotten her legacy in California.”
Clearly, Kamala has forgotten her legacy in California. https://t.co/pe3LPcAZtw
— Mark Meuser for U.S. Senate (@MarkMeuser) October 9, 2022
Actor Matthew Marsden tweeted, “The hypocrisy is staggering.”
The hypocrisy is staggering. https://t.co/MKFilNRHIk
— Matthew Marsden (@matthewdmarsden) October 9, 2022
Matt Welch, an editor at large at Reason Magazine, chimed in, “This was always true.”
Check out some of the other reactions below:
When you stand for absolutely nothing but your own success.
— Hannah Cox (@HannahDCox) October 9, 2022
(Right statement, wrong reasons) https://t.co/SuLO2DAqoO
REMINDER: Kamala Harris has sent at least 1,560 people to prison for marijuana-related offenses. https://t.co/SMgMnEwkQF
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 9, 2022
Now….people can change. But this still funny https://t.co/zALOfoc1v7 pic.twitter.com/Rm1dCr8m9F
— O’Shea Jack(Nichol)son (@OsheaJacksonJr) October 9, 2022
.@VP, this you? https://t.co/xbGnoVX03t pic.twitter.com/rREtLbSOM7
— Libertarian Party NH (@LPNH) October 9, 2022
Shameless.
— John Dennis (@RealJohnDennis) October 9, 2022
As California Attorney General Harris s sent people to jail for…smoking weed. https://t.co/F5oQlnJOy2
A lot of the reactions center on Harris’ days as California’s attorney general when she oversaw the prosecution of over 1,900 people for marijuana-related offenses.
While she was a presidential hopeful, Harris laughed when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.
To be fair to the vice president, she was enforcing the laws on the books. And most likely, at least some section of the people who are criticizing her now were probably aghast at then-San Francisco district attorney Chesa Boudin not prosecuting drug cases related to fentanyl.
You could argue fentanyl is a major contributor to the rise in opioid-related deaths and, therefore, such cases should be prosecuted, but marijuana is on a different level, and those cases should not be prosecuted.
But the law is the law, and Harris was following it — regardless of whether it was a harsh one.
Still, for Harris to go from someone who prosecuted marijuana related-cases to declaring no one should be in jail for smoking weed with essentially a shrug emoji for an explanation highlights how willing she is to say whatever is needed to get ahead.
