Kamala Harris Says Taking Cannabis Gummies Is Not Part Of Her Stress Management Routine

Vice President Kamala Harris’s de-stressing routine does not involve taking marijuana gummies, she assured an audience at a campaign event in Michigan on Monday.

Speaking on a panel with author and former First Lady of California Maria Shriver and former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), the Democratic presidential nominee was asked about managing stress as the election quickly approaches. Shriver said she’s heard from many people who are feeling anxious and who’ve taken up activities such as meditating, yoga and taking gummies to mitigate that stress.

“What are you doing?” Shriver asked.

“Not eating gummies!” Harris said, drawing laughs from the audience. Instead, she said she exercises in the morning, eats healthy and prioritizes family time.

The vice president, who recently rolled out a plan to federally legalize marijuana if she’s elected, has periodically leaned into cannabis culture, including on the campaign trail.

Earlier this month, for example, she joked with Howard Stern about how anyone planning to visit the new Las Vegas arena known as The Sphere should not go there while high on drugs because of the over-stimulating environment.

And while Harris told Shriver she isn’t currently taking cannabis gummies, she has previously discussed using marijuana in college, saying it brings people “joy.”

Also, during her 2020 presidential run, she joked about how the cannabis market is saturated with entrepreneurs claiming that rubbing CBD lotion all over one’s body is a panacea at a time when people of color who have been targeted by the war on drugs are largely locked out of the legal business.

Certain high profile members of the cannabis community are also planning a virtual event to rally support behind Harris this week, focusing on her advocacy for marijuana policy reform. Singer Willie Nelson is spearheading that event, which will also feature speakers including Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), a congresswoman and Whoopi Goldberg.

While Harris’s opponent, former President Donald Trump, recently endorsed a Florida cannabis legalization ballot initiative, as well as certain federal reforms such as industry banking access and rescheduling, the vice president has stressed that her support for reform is rooted in a criminal justice-centered interest to right the wrongs of criminalization.

The Harris–Walz campaign has accused Trump of lying about his support for marijuana reform—arguing that his “blatant pandering” runs counter to his administration’s record on cannabis.

Following Trump’s recent announcement of support for the Florida cannabis legalization ballot measure, the Democratic campaign has been working to remind voters that while in office, Trump “took marijuana reform backwards.”

Meanwhile, last month, Harris’s running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said he thinks marijuana legalization is an issue that should be left to individual states, adding that electing more Democrats to Congress could also make it easier to pass federal reforms like cannabis banking protections.

Harris also recently said that part of the reason for the delay in the administration’s marijuana rescheduling effort is federal bureaucracy that “slows things down,” including at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).