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President Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) briefly discussed marijuana policy reform during a meeting near Pittsburgh on Monday, two campaign spokespeople told Marijuana Moment.<\/p>\n
Fetterman, a U.S. Senate candidate and longstanding cannabis legalization advocate, called on Biden to take executive action<\/a> to decriminalize cannabis days ahead of the meeting. His campaign initially said that he intended to discuss marijuana reform with Biden when they were expected to cross paths at a Labor Day parade. The president did not end up attending the march, but the two met before Biden\u2019s speech at a union hall later in the day.<\/p>\n The Fetterman staffers confirmed to Marijuana Moment that the two elected officials discussed potential changes to marijuana\u2019s status under the Controlled Substances Act.<\/p>\n Out-of-town pool report #21 \u2013 POTUS and Lt. Gov. Fetterman https:\/\/t.co\/oCgsjRDhak<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 White House Pool Reports on Forth (@WHPoolOnForth) September 5, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Fetterman Communications Director Joe Calvello said in a statement that, during their talks, Fetterman \u201ccontinued to advocate for the President to use his executive authority to begin the process of rescheduling marijuana, so that people convicted of nonviolent offenses can go on with their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n A different spokesperson told Marijuana Moment that the discussion went further and touched on complete \u201cdescheduling\u201d of cannabis, which would represent a broader policy change more aligned with the lieutenant governor\u2019s stance than that of the president, who has only expressed support for rescheduling so far.<\/p>\n Without a full readout of the discussion, there are currently few details about the nature of the conversations, including how Biden responded to the Senate candidate\u2019s plea for cannabis action. However, a campaign spokesperson for Fetterman previously said that the state official planned to talk about \u201cthe need to finally decriminalize marijuana\u201d at the federal level\u2014a policy that Biden has said he supports but has not yet taken any action on.<\/p>\n White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the Fetterman campaign\u2019s initial statement<\/a> during a briefing last week. She said that the administration didn\u2019t have \u201canything to announce\u201d at that point and instead talked generally about the president\u2019s focus on addressing the \u201caddiction and overdose epidemic,\u201d his commitment to \u201chaving evidence-based policies in place\u201d and his ongoing belief that people shouldn\u2019t be incarcerated over non-violent drug offenses.<\/p>\n mom and dad, behind the scenes on the trail. \u2014 Gisele Barreto Fetterman (@giselefetterman) September 5, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n She pointed to Biden\u2019s clemency actions in April, when he commuted sentences of 75 people, many of whom had non-violent federal drug convictions on their records. But she said there\u2019s no specific update she can share on the president\u2019s plans to reform federal marijuana policy or issue mass clemency for people with cannabis records\u00a0as he promised to do on the presidential campaign trail<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I\u2019ve said before, the president supports leaving decisions regarding legalization for recreational use up to the states, rescheduling cannabis as a Schedule II drug so researchers can study its positive and negative impacts and, at the federal level, he supports decriminalizing marijuana use and automatically expunging any prior criminal records,\u201d she said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have anything to announce today at this point but just wanted to lay that out for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Later in the briefing, another reporter followed up by asking Jean-Pierre about Fetterman\u2019s specific ask that Biden use executive authority to decriminalize marijuana, which the Pennsylvania official said he\u2019d hoped the president would do before visiting his state for the Labor Day event. The reporter noted that several U.S. senators have similarly implored Biden to exercise that executive authority.<\/p>\n \u201cAgain, we don\u2019t have anything new to share or any announcement to share,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is something that he has talked about during the campaign, and you\u2019ve heard from him many other times talking about his drug policy focus and what\u2019s important to him. We just don\u2019t have anything to speak to.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, Biden did not move to federally decriminalize marijuana before Monday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s going to continue to evaluate further uses of this clemency powers,\u201d the press secretary said last week, echoing a point she\u2019s made at previous briefings<\/a>. \u201cAnd as it relates to marijuana decriminalization, we just don\u2019t have anything at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n The reporter asked specifically whether the administration believes that it has the executive authority to unilaterally enact cannabis policy changes like decriminalization,\u00a0as congressional researchers concluded he does<\/a>\u00a0in a 2021 report.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just not going to get into the specifics. The administration has made progress on its promises regarding marijuana,\u201d Jean-Pierre said, citing the fact that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)\u00a0authorized additional marijuana manufacturers<\/a>\u00a0to supply cannabis for research purposes.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a key step in promoting research because it broadens the amount and quality of cannabis available for research purposes, and we will continue to explore explore what else we can do as far as reforms,\u201dshe said. \u201cWe just don\u2019t have anything to share with you right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Biden\u00a0made his first public comments on marijuana issues<\/a>\u00a0since taking office after being pressed last month on whether he plans to follow through on his campaign pledge to release people who are incarcerated over non-violent federal cannabis offenses.<\/p>\n The president reiterated at the time that he doesn\u2019t believe people should be locked up over cannabis use, said that his administration is \u201cworking on\u201d fulfilling that clemency promise and vaguely alluded to a crime bill that he suggested would address the issue.<\/p>\n The president has received about a dozen\u00a0letters<\/a>\u00a0from<\/a>\u00a0lawmakers<\/a>,\u00a0advocates<\/a>, celebrities and people impacted by criminalization to\u00a0do something<\/a>\u00a0about the people who remain behind federal bars over cannabis.<\/p>\n Six senators\u2014including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ)\u2014sent a letter to Biden last month to express their frustration over the administration\u2019s\u00a0\u201cfailure\u201d to substantively address the harms of marijuana criminalization<\/a>\u00a0and use executive clemency authority to change course.<\/p>\n They said that the administration\u2019s current stance is \u201charming thousands of Americans, slowing research, and depriving Americans of their ability to use marijuana for medical or other purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n The recently appointed U.S. pardon attorney also recently weighed in on\u00a0the prospects of mass cannabis clemency<\/a>, telling Marijuana Moment that her office handles cases independently, but it could be empowered to issue broader commutations or pardons if directed by the president.<\/p>\n At a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing in May, Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and other Democratic lawmakers stressed the need for\u00a0reforming the federal clemency process<\/a>, calling for applications to be streamlined to make it easier for people with non-violent federal drug convictions to get relief.<\/p>\n Late last year, a coalition of congressional lawmakers introduced the Fair and Independent Experts in Clemency (FIX Clemency) Act, a bill that would\u00a0take clemency review away from the Justice Department<\/a>\u00a0and instead establish an independent board appointed by the president.<\/p>\n \u2014 The White House has been asked about the issue several times. Former Press Secretary Jen Psaki had said that the president has \u201cevery intention of using his clemency power\u201d and is \u201clooking at\u201d relief for non-violent drug offenders.<\/p>\n Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said in June that the Biden administration is\u00a0\u201cmonitoring\u201d states that have legalized marijuana<\/a>\u00a0to inform federal policy, recognizing the failures of the current prohibitionist approach.<\/p>\n In the background of these administrative developments, congressional lawmakers have continued to work legislatively to put an end to cannabis criminalization.<\/p>\n Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Booker filed a much-anticipated bill to federally legalize cannabis and promote social equity last month, and a Senate Judiciary subcommittee chaired by Booker subsequently held a hearing\u00a0where members discussed the proposal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wyden recently conceded that\u00a0the votes may not be there to pass the wide-ranging legislation<\/a>, but he said that\u00a0he remains hopeful that Congress will enact \u201csome key reforms\u201d on cannabis this session.<\/p>\n This has become a consistent talking point since the three senators filed the\u00a0Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA)<\/a>. The sponsors recognize that political challenges, which is why Schumer has been in talks with bipartisan and bicameral offices about introducing what would effectively be a marijuana omnibus of modest reforms.<\/p>\n The so-called \u201cSAFE Banking Plus\u201d bill, which is still being finalized, is expected to contain provisions to safeguard banks that work with state-legal cannabis businesses,\u00a0provide pathways for marijuana expungements<\/a>, promote research into the plant, among other potential proposals. Advocates have also been talking with lawmakers and staff about building on the banking component by\u00a0incorporating several equity-centric amendments<\/a>.<\/p>\n For the time being,\u00a0Senate Democrats are touting<\/a>\u00a0one piece of incremental marijuana reform legislation\u00a0that passed the chamber back in April<\/a>. The bipartisan bill is meant to streamline the process for scientists who want to access cannabis for research purposes.<\/p>\n That specific legislation hasn\u2019t been enacted into law. But there are hopes that a\u00a0slightly revised version that was introduced<\/a>\u00a0last month could reach the president\u2019s desk in due time. It already\u00a0cleared the House just days after its filing<\/a>, and sources say the Senate is expected to act shortly.<\/p>\n If it makes it through the chamber and gets to Biden, who remains opposed to full federal marijuana legalization, it would mark the first piece of standalone marijuana reform legislation to ever become law.<\/p>\n Back in Pennsylvania, a majority of voters (58 percent) support legalization according to the most recent polling<\/a>, but Fetterman\u2019s Republican gubernatorial opponent known best as Dr. Oz has attacked the official over his cannabis advocacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s in spite of the fact that, in 2020, Mehmet Oz himself called marijuana \u201cone of the most underused tools in America\u201d and said that the country should\u00a0\u201ccompletely change our policy on marijuana.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Just last week, Oz again took aim at his U.S. Senate opponent<\/a> over his support for marijuana legalization\u2014but, after being pressed on his past comments on the issue, he conceded that, yes, he\u2019s personally in favor of medical cannabis, saying that it\u2019s a \u201csafer solution\u201d compared to certain prescription drugs like opioids.<\/p>\n Critics,\u00a0including far-right provocateur Ann Coulter<\/a>\u00a0and former U.S. House Speaker New Gingrich, have also taken issue with a cannabis-themed flag that the lieutenant governor hung over his office balcony in Harrisburg. (Coulter falsely suggested that Fetterman deleted a tweet showing him holding the flag in a recent blog post.)<\/p>\n Last week, Fetterman and Gov. Tom Wolf (D) launched a month-long marijuana pardon project<\/a> to expedite relief for people with low-level cannabis convictions on their records.<\/p>\n Prior to Wolf endorsing marijuana legalization, Fetterman\u00a0also led a statewide listening tour<\/a>\u00a0to hear what residents had to say about the policy proposal. He touted his role in that tour on his Senate campaign website.<\/p>\n He also talked about his work to \u201clegalize weed for jobs, justice, veterans, farmers and revenue\u201d in a fundraising email early this year.<\/p>\n Fetterman previously said that farmers in his state could\u00a0grow better marijuana than people in New Jersey<\/a>\u2014and that was one reason why Pennsylvania should expeditiously reform its cannabis laws.<\/p>\n In 2020, he hosted a virtual forum where he got\u00a0advice on how to effectively implement a cannabis system<\/a>\u00a0from the lieutenant governors of Illinois and Michigan, which have enacted legalization.<\/p>\n The governor, who signed\u00a0a medical cannabis expansion bill last year<\/a>, has repeatedly called for legalization and\u00a0pressured the Republican-controlled legislature to pursue the reform<\/a>\u00a0since\u00a0coming out in favor of the policy in 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n Last year,\u00a0Wolf pardoned a doctor<\/a>\u00a0who was arrested, prosecuted and jailed for growing marijuana that he used to provide relief for his dying wife. That marked his\u00a096th pardon for people with cannabis convictions<\/a>\u00a0through an ongoing Expedited Review Program for Non-Violent Marijuana-Related Offenses.<\/p>\n The race for Pennsylvania governor has also\u00a0put cannabis policy in the spotlight<\/a>, with the pro-reform Democratic nominee Attorney General Josh Shapiro competing against the aggressively anti-legalization Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano.<\/p>\n Georgia Lawmakers Talk Next Steps For Psychedelics Research For Military Veterans At Committee Hearing<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post President Biden Discusses Marijuana With Senate Candidate Fetterman At Labor Day Meeting<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
President Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) briefly discussed marijuana policy reform during a meeting near Pittsburgh on Monday, two campaign spokespeople told Marijuana Moment. Fetterman, a U.S. Senate candidate and longstanding cannabis legalization advocate, called on Biden to take executive action to decriminalize cannabis days aheadContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":56997,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56996"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56996"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56998,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56996\/revisions\/56998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: President Biden Discusses Marijuana With Senate Candidate Fetterman At Labor Day Meeting<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"