Kamala Harris praises Illinois for legalizing marijuana

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) on Monday praised Illinois for legalizing recreational marijuana.

“Thankful states like Illinois are stepping up to correct the mistakes of our past,” the White House hopeful tweeted. “It’s time to do the same at the federal level.”

Thankful states like Illinois are stepping up to correct the mistakes of our past. It’s time to do the same at the federal level. https://t.co/FHZuTYS8do

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 1, 2019 

Signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) last week, the Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act will legalize the drug’s use at the beginning of next year.

{mosads}It will allow licensed growth, sales, possession and consumption of cannabis for adults 21 and over.

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

The bill has been praised for including rules that will expunge nearly 800,000 marijuana convictions from criminal records. 

Pritzker called the bill the most “equity-centric cannabis legalization in the nation.”

Harris is a co-sponsor of the federal Marijuana Justice Act, introduced by fellow 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) last year.

The policy would require federal courts to expunge the records of Americans who have prior marijuana convictions related to use or possession.