WASHINGTON – Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris named Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice-presidential pick for the 2024 election. The move carries significant implications for the cannabis industry. Walz, known for his progressive stance on cannabis reform, has been a vocal advocate for legalization and regulation, which could signal a federal push for reform under a Harris-Walz administration.
Walz’s selection is particularly notable given his track record in Minnesota, where he signed legislation in 2023 to legalize recreational marijuana. His leadership in this area aligns with the growing momentum across the United States for cannabis legalization and suggests the industry could play a key role in the upcoming election.
Harris, a former prosecutor, California Attorney General, and U.S. senator, has a mixed record on cannabis. During her time as attorney general, she was known for a tough-on-drugs stance, but that position has softened somewhat in recent years. As a senator, she introduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which would have decriminalized and taxed cannabis at the federal level and supported expungement of cannabis-related criminal convictions. At the time, she said, “The War on Drugs was an abject failure. It’s time to legalize marijuana and bring justice to people of color harmed by failed drug policies.”
Walz, a former teacher and high school football coach who retired from the Army National Guard after twenty years of service, has been a more consistent proponent of reform. He signed Minnesota’s bill legalizing adult use and expunging convictions in early 2023. Prior to that, while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, he sponsored the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018 and shepherded the bill through approval in the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He also co-sponsored bills for regulating hemp and legalizing CBD and consistently backed amendments to protect state-legal cannabis programs.
What happens next?
With the selection of Walz as her running mate, the Harris campaign will move forward with securing the Democratic nomination at the party’s national convention August 19-22 in Chicago. Following the convention, the focus will shift to the general election campaign, where Harris and Walz will present their platform to voters nationwide. As part of this process, they likely will outline specific policy proposals, including their approach to cannabis reform, which could energize voters who prioritize the issue.
The campaign also will prepare for debates, fundraising, and other strategic efforts leading up to the election in November. Given Walz’s background, cannabis policy could become a prominent issue in the campaign, potentially influencing both public opinion and legislative priorities if Harris and Walz are elected.
