Bernie Sanders says he’s concerned about teens’ enthusiasm for marijuana

Bernie Sanders is pro-marijuana, but he’s still concerned about some of the drug’s harms, particularly as it relates to teenagers.

The senator recently visited Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont, to a town hall where he spoke on a wide range of topics, from climate change and public health to teens smoking marijuana.

“For me it is incredibly important to hear what moves young people. They are the future of the country,” Sanders said.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Staff/Getty Images

A member of the audience asked Sanders for his opinion on Biden’s marijuana pardon and the impact it would have on marijuana charges. According to Bennington Banner, the question drew an excited response from the audience, which caused Sanders to frown.

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Sanders said the topic of marijuana is often brought up at high school events. “That worries me, to tell you the truth,” he said. Still, Sanders said that while he’s not a fan of drugs and alcohol, he believes marijuana should be legal in every state in the United States

Sanders was also careful to distinguish between marijuana and other drugs that have more serious and dangerous side effects. “Heroin is a killer drug,” he said. “Fentanyl is even worse, and fentanyl is sometimes mixed with heroin. … Marijuana is not heroin, it is not fentanyl, it should not be lumped together.”

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Sanders has long been a proponent of decriminalizing marijuana and legalizing it. When Biden’s pardon was issued, Sanders supported his decision and shared his approval on Twitter.

I’ve long believed that marijuana should be legalized and those arrested for possession pardoned and their records erased. Today’s executive action by the President is an important step forward, but much more needs to be done.

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 6, 2022

“I’ve long believed that marijuana should be legalized and those arrested for possession pardoned and their records erased. Today’s executive action by the President is an important step forward, but much more needs to be done,” he wrote.