Senator John Fetterman Circulates Petition To Legalize Marijuana At The Federal Level

Sen. John Fetterman’s campaign (D-PA) is promoting the senator’s pro-marijuana legalization platform, urging people to sign a petition to show “just how much support he has on this issue.”

In an email blast on Saturday, the senator’s team said “John stands firm in his beliefs” and is “proud to be fighting for legal weed,” among other issues such as health care reform and labor unions, in the Senate.

“John Fetterman understands that legal weed means more revenue, jobs, justice, and freedom,” it says. “He sees how it will benefit our farmers, veterans, and small businesses. And most of all, he sees it as a vital chance to expunge all bogus marijuana records and release folks incarcerated just for using the plant.”

When he served as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor under then-Gov. Tom Wolf (D), Fetterman was a vocal advocate for cannabis reform and helped facilitate clemency at the state-level.

He’s become less outspoken about the issue since being elected to the Senate, but he has supported legalization proposals such as the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA). Fetterman hasn’t been the lead sponsor of any marijuana reform bills himself since entering federal office in 2023.

In any case, the new campaign email goes on to say that “weed has always been a center-most issue to John’s campaign,” encouraging supporters to sign an online petition if they agree “it’s time to legalize weed at the federal level.”

Such online petitions are one way campaigns build out email lists to later fundraise from.

“Most Senators don’t make marijuana justice a top issue. But John has never been ‘most Senators,’” the email blast continues. “However—the issue is clear: 89% of Americans support legal weed in one form or another!”

“If you’re one of them, then sign on to our petition today, folks! John’s one of the loudest (and tbh, definitely the tallest) voices for legal weed in the Senate, and every signature we get proves just how much support he has on this issue,” it says.

Fetterman also recently weighed in on marijuana policy in an interview with AskAPol earlier this month.

Asked about President Donald Trump’s anti-legalization pick to run the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the senator said “it’s undeniable that the legal weed movement have taken—have lost some steam over the last couple years.”

“That’s disappointing, because it’s not controversial to anyone other than the extreme fringes,” he said. “I might be in the Senate, but now we’re still struggling and dicking around and we should just make legal weed.”

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—

While his legislative action on cannabis in the Senate has been largely confined to cosponsorships of certain reform bills—from legalization to industry banking access—he did put pressure on the Biden administration to expand its marijuana pardons to forgive those penalized for possession under military code.

The senator also said last year that he didn’t support then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) call for a crackdown on the nicotine product Zyn because it’s a matter of “freedom and personal choices,” drawing parallels to his reasons for supporting marijuana legalization.

He’s also advocated for psychedelics reform, arguing in 2023 that psilocybin mushrooms could represent a “revolution” in mental health treatment and an economic “boon” for his home state of Pennsylvania, which he referred to as the “mushroom capital of the world.” However, he has so far not filed any legislation to advance the issue.

Read the full email from Fetterman’s campaign on marijuana legalization below: 

To this day, most candidates shy away from making legal weed a central part of their platform. Even most Democrats! But John isn’t exactly your cookie-cutter Senator, folks…

John stands firm in his beliefs — just the way he always has. He’s proud to be fighting for legal weed , health care access for EVERYONE, LGBTQIA+ protection under law , the union way of life, raising the minimum wage, beating back climate change, and more.

But today is about one issue in particular: We’re talking about legal weed.

John Fetterman understands that legal weed means more revenue, jobs, justice, and freedom. He sees how it will benefit our farmers, veterans, and small businesses. And most of all, he sees it as a vital chance to expunge all bogus marijuana records and release folks incarcerated just for using the plant.

That’s why legal weed has always been a center-most issue to John’s campaign. If you agree it’s time to legalize weed at the federal level, will you sign on to our petition today?

Most Senators don’t make marijuana justice a top issue. But John has never been “most Senators.”

However — the issue is clear: 89% of Americans support legal weed in one form or another!

If you’re one of them, then sign on to our petition today, folks! John’s one of the loudest (and tbh, definitely the tallest) voices for legal weed in the Senate, and every signature we get proves just how much support he has on this issue.

We appreciate you weighing in!

— Team Fetterman HQ

Here’s the text of the petition: 

If dozens of states can legalize cannabis — why can’t the federal government?

Full legal weed means more justice, more jobs, and more freedom. Most candidates don’t make it a major issue — but John always has, and always will.

Add your name to our official petition today, and let’s show that legal weed is a popular policy with a broad base of support.

Top GOP Congressman Files Bill To Block Marijuana Industry Tax Deductions, Even After Federal Rescheduling

The post Senator John Fetterman Circulates Petition To Legalize Marijuana At The Federal Level appeared first on Marijuana Moment.