Fetterman calls on Biden to decriminalize marijuana

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the state’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, added his voice to those calling on President Biden to decriminalize marijuana.

“It’s long past time that we finally decriminalize marijuana,” Fetterman said in a statement on Monday. “The president needs to use his executive authority to begin descheduling marijuana, I would love to see him do this prior to his visit to Pittsburgh. This is just common sense and Pennslyvanians overwhelmingly support decriminalizing marijuana.”

A Fetterman spokesman said the lieutenant governor planned to talk Biden about the issue when the president visits Pittsburgh on Labor Day. Fetterman has made weed legalization a plank of his Senate platform.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about Fetterman’s comments during Monday’s briefing with reporters and said the administration had nothing to announce regarding executive action on marijuana. She did note, however, that Biden had commuted 75 sentences and granted three pardons in April.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fetterman-calls-on-biden-to-decriminalize-marijuana-210756987.html

WH says it has nothing to announce on decriminalizing marijuana

During the White House briefing on Monday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden administration was not announcing any change in drug policy. Pennsylvania's Lt. Gov. and Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman urged Biden on Monday to decriminalize marijuana.

- Finally, senate candidate Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman says he is going to be at the parade in Pittsburgh on Labor Day and, quote, "He looks forward to talking to the president there about the need to finally decriminalize marijuana." The president has said in the past we need to rethink our approach. Has he decided how he wants to rethink the approach? Does he agree with John Fetterman?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: So I don't have anything right now to announce. But I just want to talk a little bit and take a step back to talk about the drug-- our drug policy that we-- that we have been very clear about. But I'll lay out some stuff here.

We're-- we're at an urgent moment when it comes to an overdose epidemic. You've heard the president talk about that. More than 100,000 lives lost in the most recent 12 month period. The bulk of our early efforts have been focused on addressing the addiction and overdose epidemic.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/wh-says-nothing-announce-decriminalizing-210856330.html

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. JMO, smoking a weed should not be a crime.

Stealing classified documents, yes.

[calguy]

2. I would agree with him but why bring this up now?

He's got Oz on the ropes. This could be a controversial issue. Why give him ammunition?

[fishwax]

11. it was a big part of his primary campaign, and support is high in PA for decriminalization

I don't think the issue gives Oz any ammunition, and if it does Fetterman is already thoroughly tied to it.

[ms liberty]

3. This, and I was just thinking this myself. He would win in a landslide, IMO.

[DURHAM D]

4. Not now.

He needs to stay in his own lane and leave the President out of it for now.

[albacore]

5. I think that if Pres Biden decriminalized pot, the Dems would gain a lot of votes. nt

[sarcasmo]

6. Decriminalizing cannabis would be a big win for 2024.

[Unwind Your Mind]

7. People use Cannabis to reduce opioid use

There have been studies, I go looking…

[Unwind Your Mind]

8. Not just use reduction but DEATH reduction

“ The researchers, led by Marcus Bachhuber, then at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Pennsylvania, examined death certificates in all 50 states between 1999 and 2010. They found that the annual rate of deaths due to overdose on an opioid painkiller was nearly 25% lower in states that permitted medical marijuana”

https://www.science.org/content/article/could-pot-help-solve-us-opioid-epidemic

[Unwind Your Mind]

9. More

More recently, David Bradford, a health economist at the University of Georgia in Athens, and his daughter Ashley, a master's student there, sought to investigate whether marijuana was supplanting conventional drugs in states where it's legal. Analyzing Medicare drug prescription data from 2010 to 2013, they found a significant difference in the number of prescriptions for several conditions, including anxiety and nausea, in states with medical marijuana. But one condition stood out from the rest: "The effect for pain was three to four times larger than all of the others," David Bradford says. In medical marijuana states, each physician prescribed an average of 1826 fewer doses of conventional pain medication each year, they reported in the July issue of Health Affairs. That translates into many millions of doses per year in those states.

[Calculating]

10. There's no sane or logical reason to not legalize it already

It was literally made illegal to begin with to persecute minorities, kept illegal by Nixon to target hippies and African Americans, and in this day and age keeping it federally illegal is just plain stupid. It's basically a less harmful alternative to alcohol. Whose vote would be lost by legalizing? The social conservative church types? They weren't going to vote dem anyway.

[GoodRaisin]

12. Also an alternative to opioids. Many people living in pain would like the freedom to

try it instead of opioids or the other near useless pain meds available for treating chronic pain. Taking action now could only be a win for democrats.

I heard Don Lemon saying tonight that more Americans smoke weed than cigarettes now.

[Calculating]

13. Yeah

The current Admin needs to get with the times on this issue. It's not the Reagan years anymore.

[Emile]

14. Yes and preferably before the midterm election.!!

[Calculating]

15. It's a no brainer

Excites the youth and doesn't lose any votes.

[48656c6c6f20]

16. Why? When you're ahead and you're beating the hell out of your opponent

Why make a dumb mistake? Biden will be there after the election, state your grievences then. Damn we're always fucking ourselves.

[Emile]

18. Two-thirds of Americans support marijuana legalization!

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/11/14/americans-support-marijuana-legalization/

[48656c6c6f20]

19. Yes I see it's at the top of what the fuck Americans want

Not even close. Next Dr. Oz ad? Fetterman a dope head and wants illegals with big calfs toting bales of pot into America.
Selfish novelty wishes always kill the big picture ideas of the democrats.

[Emile]

21. Those selfish novelty wishes as YOU put it

are what the majority of people want. Even the majority of republican voters want it too. If Dr Oz wants to campaign against cannabis legalization, let him! We'll see how far that gets him!

[Tree Lady]

17. Living on the west coast its hard to even believe

It's not passed yet. It's become just like a liquor store out here and I never see anyone protesting outside a store, not even in the beginning many years ago.

Sometimes I feel like I live in a different country than other Americans, I have many more freedoms.

My husband bought some pot on tiny Island we stayed at in British Columbia this summer. Was able to pay with credit card because of it being legal throughout the country. That gave us discount because our money was a better rate.

[librechik]

20. Talk about a blue tsunami

Wouldn't it be great if we got a 2/3 majority?

FDR had one. We need one.

A girl can dream...

[Emile]

22. +1