Harris Sparks Backlash For Hypocritical Comments Saying No One Should Go To Jail For Smoking Weed

Over the weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris said that no one should have to go to jail for just “smoking weed.” Her comments were seen as hypocritical and prompted backlash from those who pointed out that she had sent many individuals to jail for marijuana during her time as a prosecutor in California.

“And speaking of the system of justice. We are also changing — y’all might have heard that this week — the federal government’s approach to marijuana,” Harris said, referencing President Biden recently issuing pardons for thousands who have past federal convictions on drug charges.

“Because the bottom line there is nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed,” Harris continued amid cheers from the crowd.

VP HARRIS: "Nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed." pic.twitter.com/yHDGeUyQ9e

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 9, 2022

In response, San Francisco Republican Party Chairman John Dennis — who is challenging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her seat in Congress — pointed out Harris’ hypocrisy in a tweet, saying, “Shameless. As California Attorney General Harris sent people to jail for …smoking weed.”

Steve Guest, special communications advisor to Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), similarly wrote, “REMINDER: Kamala Harris has sent at least 1,560 people to prison for marijuana-related offenses.”

Many Twitter users also pointed to the 2020 presidential campaign, when former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) explained some of the details of Harris’ time as a prosecutor and noted that Harris has said she will be a “prosecutor president.”

“I want to bring the conversation back to the broken criminal justice system that is disproportionately negatively affecting black and brown people all across this country today,” Gabbard said at the time. “Now, Senator Harris says she’s proud of her record as a prosecutor and she’ll be a prosecutor president, but I’m deeply concerned about this record.”

“There are too many examples to cite,” Gabbard continued. “She put over 1500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana.”