Fetterman from Pennsylvania smoked for Biden because of the weed reform
The President has failed in his campaign promises to legalize cannabis. Will this larger-than-life Senate candidate finally hold Biden at his word?
Pennsylvania Deputy Governor John Fetterman built his political career on an unconventional image. He has championed social issues like cannabis reform and is currently at the forefront of challenging conservative myths about the harms of weed legalization.
So it’s only right that the US Senate nominee is leading the charge against President Joe Biden’s glacier movement over the federal ban. Joe promised that and more in his 2020 campaign. But he has not lived up to those commitments to any significant extent. Although it was said in July that “no one should be in jail for marijuana.”
In a press release Monday, Fetterman made it clear he would harass the commander in chief over his unfulfilled promises when he visits Pennsylvania for Labor Day. And Fetterman has no intention of letting the President be distracted from his inaction any longer.
“It’s about time we finally decriminalized marijuana… The President needs to use his executive powers to start marijuana determination… I know firsthand what real crime looks like. Marjiuana doesn’t fit the bill. It is time to end the hypocrisy in this matter once and for all.”
John Fetterman
Biden’s appearances in the PA cities of Wilkes Barre and Philadelphia will include speeches about fighting rising crime nationwide and protecting Americans’ rights and freedoms, reports The Hill. Despite his 2020 campaign promises to decriminalize marijuana and quash criminal records, 18 months later, cannabis remains a Schedule I substance and thousands of Americans are still behind bars on nonviolent cannabis charges.
Andrew Sidman, chair of the political science department at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told Politifact that “criminal justice reform is not a place where the President will seek to spend political capital,” while focusing on COVID-19, the recession, focused. and its Build Back Better legislation.
That doesn’t sound promising to those holding their breath for the federal ban to end soon.
It’s high time to legalize PA too
In a report compiled by NORML, an average of 38 cannabis-related arrests were made in Pennsylvania every day in 2021. While the state has legalized medical marijuana, possession of cannabis and/or concentrates in any amount is subject to a $500 fine and/or 30 days in prison. And limited licensing opportunities in the medical market mean higher prices and limited supply for PA medical marijuana patients.
Fetterman has been described as “the most outspoken pro-weed politician in the nation” for his staunch and vocal support for cannabis reform, dating back to his years as mayor of the steel town of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Spotted at 4/20 events, he berates his fellow candidate’s hypocrisy – his press release fools his opponent, the fraudulent Dr. Oz to call “bullshit” for linking weed to harmful crime.
His platform reflects the belief of many activists and leaders that cannabis reform will not only reduce crime, but also create jobs and provide financial support to communities in need. In 2019, one of his first acts as Lieutenant Governor was a 67-stop tour of Pennsylvania to gather public opinion on adult cannabis use; The resulting report showed overwhelming support for legalization.
Even though the cannabis industry has weathered controversy and a massive illicit market, it remains a billion-dollar industry. Other countries have recognized their federal potential. As for Pennsylvania, when will communities get tired of sending tax revenues across the border to New York, New Jersey, and New England?
As Fetterman writes in his “Legal Weed for PA” merch description sold through his official campaign website, “It’s high time we pulled together and legalized weed in PA + USA.”
Amelie Williams
New York-based freelance cannabis journalist Amelia Williams is a graduate of San Francisco State University’s journalism program and a former budtender. Williams has contributed to GreenState, MG Magazine, Culture Magazine and Cannabis Now, Kirkus Reviews and The Bold Italic of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Check out Amelia Williams’ articles
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