Vice President Kamala Harris and rapper Fat Joe led a White House discussion on Friday, March 15, 2024. They discussed easing marijuana penalties, and Harris said it’s “absurd” that the federal government classifies marijuana as more dangerous than fentanyl. According to reports, synthetic opioid causes the deaths of tens of thousands annually in the United States.
Harris, a former state prosecutor in California, also criticized the federal classification of cannabis as “patently unfair.” The government is currently reviewing how it classifies marijuana, and Harris urged that the process be wrapped up as quickly as possible.
Fat Joe is a Grammy-nominated artist and philanthropist named Joseph Cartagena. He moderated the subsequent closed-door discussion, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and individuals who received pardons for prior marijuana convictions.
The conversation featured a few other prominent criminal justice advocates and three recipients of marijuana-related pardons. The panel discussion reportedly lasted about an hour and featured many personal anecdotes from those pardoned.
Fat Joe Shows Appreciation
During the panel discussion, Fat Joe expressed gratitude for his journey through hip-hop, which led him to a close relationship with the vice president. He reportedly met her through his healthcare reform group, Power To The Patients.
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In addition, the rapper sat down for a private conversation with Harris, and the two talked about healthcare price transparency and other issues close to his heart.
Joe’s Hard Work
Harris isn’t the only executive Joe’s spoken to in recent days. The rapper also caught up with President Joe Biden himself after the president’s State of the Union address, which took some shots at Donald Trump.
This implies that Fat Joe was at the address. People were clamoring for his attention, trying to score autographs and snap pictures. Rightfully so, because the rapper has been working in politics and advocacy like no other in hip-hop, maybe he’s on to something.
The President’s Contribution
President Joe Biden has issued pardons to thousands of people for federal marijuana possession and commuted long sentences handed down for nonviolent drug offenses. In 2022, he urged governors to pardon state offenses.
Again, Beshear invited people convicted of simple marijuana possession to apply for pardons in Kentucky. Before that, Biden launched the process to review marijuana classification in 2022. According to a Gallup poll, seven in ten adults favor legalizing marijuana.
Also, support for legalization is closer to eight in ten among 18 to 34-year-olds, a demographic whose support for Biden, who is seeking reelection, has softened since he took office.
What Is Harris’s Opinion About This?
“I cannot emphasize enough that they need to get to it as quickly as possible, and we need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment,” Harris said of the Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice handling the review.
“But this issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently, marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin,” she said during the public portion of the meeting. “Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd,” she added. “Not to mention patently unfair.”
“So I’m sure DEA is working as quickly as possible and will continue to do so and we look forward to the product of their work,” the vice president said.
The Effect of Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths annually in America. However, U.S. regulators are studying reclassifying marijuana, shifting it from a drug that has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” This is known as “Schedule I,” to the less tightly regulated “Schedule III.”
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Biden mentioned the marijuana classification review during his State of the Union address earlier this month. During a campaign appearance in Milwaukee, he said, “No one should be jailed for marijuana.” The president added, “If you’re just using it, you should have that wiped off your record.”
Fat Joe closed the roundtable discussion, saying he’s hot on the issue of price transparency in health care. “But, today, when the vice president called me, I stop everything,” he said.
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