John Fetterman Calls on President Biden to Decriminalize Marijuana

Ahead of Biden’s upcoming visit to Pittsburgh, Fetterman is calling on the President to work to deschedule marijuana from its classification as a Schedule I drug, and going on the offensive against his Senate opponent Dr. Oz in anticipation of any backlash.

Pennsylvania’s Lt. Governor John Fetterman has always been a vocal supporter of the legalization of adult-use recreational marijuana.

True to form, the Democratic US Senate candidate is calling on President Joe Biden to use his existing authority to deschedule marijuana from its classification as a Schedule I drug and work to decriminalize it.

“It’s long past time that we finally decriminalize marijuana,” said Fetterman in a statement. “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.”

Biden is expected to be in Pittsburgh on Monday for the city’s Labor Day parade.

Fetterman also went on the offensive against potential backlash from his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz:

Fetterman has continually shown his support for the legalization of marijuana, sparking backlash from Republicans when he hung a marijuana leaf flag from his Harrisburg office balcony.

In 2019, he visited every county in the state, hosting town halls about legalization, and found that 65-70% of the attendees support legalizing recreational marijuana for adult use. 

Oz, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to know where he stands on the subject. Just two years ago, the celebrity TV doctor said “we ought to completely change our policy on marijuana,” which he described as “one of the most underused tools in America,” according to an article in Reason. 

But now that Oz is running for US Senate, he has changed his tune and is mocking Fetterman for supporting legalization.

“He’s the most radical candidate in the country,” Oz tweeted last week. The video he presented to back up that claim cites Fetterman’s positions on criminal justice reform, government spending, energy production, and “socialized medicine.” The video begins by alluding to Fetterman’s support for legalizing recreational marijuana, which the ad presents as clear evidence of his left-wing wackiness.

Recreational marijuana is legal in 19 states—including neighboring New York and New Jersey—Washington, D.C., and Guam.