Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, according to the Associated Press. The former teacher and Army National Guard veteran is considered a Midwestern liberal darling and has become increasingly visible to the media since Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. And while the choice will likely appease many demographics, it also marks the first time a major party presidential ticket has been glaringly pro-pot.
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Despite concerns over Harris’s past prosecutorial work, the VP has said numerous times over the last several years that no one should be incarcerated for cannabis. She held a celebrity-filled roundtable on marijuana reform earlier this year and has advocated for loosening restrictions on the plant.
Meanwhile, Gov. Walz helped champion adult-use cannabis in his home state, making it a top priority for Democrats prior to the legislation passing in 2023.
“Governor Walz has been an outspoken advocate of cannabis legalization in Minnesota, and with Vice President Harris, they are the first explicitly pro-legalization major party presidential ticket,” said Bryan Barash, VP of external affairs and deputy general counsel for Dutchie, in a statement sent to GreenState.
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Pot industry players like Barash have praised Harris’s choice, believing it emboldens the possibility for future reform.
“We are encouraged by this pick and hope that, if elected, Harris and Walz will continue the progress already made towards ending federal prohibition and supporting a safe and regulated legal market,” Barash added. “Cannabis reform is on voters’ minds this election cycle, and we look forward to hearing more from Harris and Walz about what they will do to advance cannabis reform if elected.”
The Harris-Walz campaign is likely to lean into the pro-cannabis conversation, much like President Biden had prior to exiting the presidential race. Former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump has stayed relatively silent on the marijuana issue but has publicly attacked Harris, saying she put “thousands and thousands of Black people” in jail for pot.
The next few months will be a political whirlwind as the November election looms, but cannabis advocates are hopeful a Harris-Walz win could free the plant.
