John Fetterman urges Biden to legalize weed ahead of Labor Day – this is how POTUS reacted

If recent polls are anything to go by, it looks like John Fetterman (D) has a good chance of winning Dr. Beating Oz (R) to become Pennsylvania’s next Senator. Ahead of President Biden’s visit to Pittsburgh this Labor Day, Fetterman plans to address the issue of marijuana decriminalization, an issue that has been one of the guiding posts of his campaign.

Fetterman released a statement last Monday urging Biden to delay marijuana ahead of his visit to Pittsburgh.

“It’s about time we finally decriminalized marijuana,” Fetterman said. “The President needs to use his executive powers to begin de-scheduling marijuana, I would love for him to do that before his visit to Pittsburgh. This is just common sense and Pennsylvanians are overwhelmingly supportive of decriminalizing marijuana.”

Photo by Bill Ingalls-NASA via Getty Images

Fetterman also posted his opinion on Twitter, telling Biden that he has “the power to use your executive power to chart a new course.”

It’s about time we finally decriminalized marijuana.

Too many lives like Paul’s have been destroyed by misguided policies that most Americans want to see reformed. @POTUS You have the power to use your executive power to set a new course. https://t.co/pNKxF0SnVq

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 29, 2022

In his statement, Fetterman also mentioned that marijuana is not a felony. “As Mayor of Braddock, my mission is to fight serious crime. I know firsthand what real crime looks like. Marijuana doesn’t fit the picture,” he wrote. “It is time to end the hypocrisy in this matter once and for all.”

RELATED: Dr. Oz faces John Fetterman in an unprecedented Senate race – and cannabis is on the table

During a news conference Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was questioned about Fetterman’s statements, but she pushed them back. “When it comes to drugs, the administration’s top priority is to address an overdose crisis,” she said. “But at the same time, President Biden believes there are too many people serving unreasonably long sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, a disproportionate number of whom are black and brown. That’s why in April, during Second Chance Month, President Biden announced 17 verdicts, commutations and three pardons, more clemency grants at this point in a presidency than any of his five most recent predecessors.”

Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Fetterman was a proponent of legal marijuana throughout his tenure. In one of his campaign videos, he explains that he was one of the first politicians to express his support for the drug. “And now, five years later, I reiterate the same appeal for a number of reasons, but primarily because of the criminal justice aspect,” he said.

RELATED: Sen. candidate John Fetterman: ‘It’s high time we pulled ourselves together and legalized weed’

While Biden was previously anti-marijuana, his position has shifted over the years, landing on his campaign promise to free people jailed for marijuana-related crimes. Biden did not take any significant action on cannabis during his tenure.