Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) advocated legalizing marijuana ahead of April 20, a holiday known as a holiday for those who enjoy smoking and consuming marijuana.
“Right now we’re doing this interview in Washington, D.C., and we can leave right now.” [and] Fetterman told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday that he compared the nation’s drug policies to those in his home state of Pennsylvania, where residents are legally allowed to use marijuana only for medical purposes.
“Pennsylvanians wanted this five years ago,” he asserted, recalling his days campaigning in the state. “We’re not there yet.”
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Sen. John Fetterman has pushed for the legalization and deregulation of marijuana ahead of the April 20 marijuana holiday. (Getty Images)
Fetterman noted that most states surrounding the Keystone State have already legalized the drug for adult use. “It’s not complicated. Other states are doing it,” he said.
The states surrounding Pennsylvania, including Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, have legalized small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use.
The origin of the association between 4/20 and marijuana is not agreed upon, but it has been speculated that the holiday may have originated in a variety of ways. Some say the number 420 was used by police to refer to the drug, while others point to Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” and point out that the number multiplies to 420. . Despite various theories, this is not actually the case. There seems to be a consensus on how the day started.
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Fetterman emphasized that marijuana is safer when it is regulated. (David McNew/Getty Images)
“It needs to be safe, pure, taxed and available,” Fetterman said, adding that illegally purchased drugs are difficult to trace and can be cut with dangerous substances such as fentanyl. He explained.
by National Conference of State LegislaturesTwenty-four states and Washington, DC, and two U.S. territories have legalized the recreational use of small amounts of marijuana by adults.
“Any adult should be allowed to do that legally without any criminal repercussions,” the Pennsylvania senator said.
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Fetterman said he urged Biden to take action on marijuana. (Getty Images)
Fetterman told Fox News Digital that he directly encouraged President Biden to take federal action to “liberalize” drugs.
He is also lobbying Biden to have the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) remove marijuana from the current Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Schedule I. The schedule includes drugs that “have no currently accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse.” Marijuana is included on the list of Schedule I substances, along with heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ecstasy, peyote, and others.
“I don’t believe anyone,” Fetterman said. [should] The non-violent marijuana charges are criminally life-altering. ”
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Some states have not yet legalized the drug for recreational use. (© Doug Hawk/The Oklahoman/USA TODAY NETWORK)
As for the illicit market that still exists in states where marijuana has been legalized, he said no state has fully implemented the policy, “but I think you’ll see that continue to evolve.”
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“Marijuana will continue to become cheaper as policies evolve,” and “this will absolutely eradicate marijuana.” [those] It’s an illegal market,” he claimed.
The senator also emphasized that cannabis policy reform efforts are bipartisan. “Republicans want legal marijuana. Democrats want legal marijuana,” he said. “And this is [place] That’s where we can come together on a bipartisan basis and say, “Look, let’s do this, let’s just keep going.” ”
