Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) thanked President Biden for pardoning certain marijuana offenses, calling the charges “bullshit weed charges.”
“A few Christmases ago, as Lieutenant Governor, I pushed for legal weed and delivering pardons for bullshit weed charges. As a Senate candidate, I personally asked @POTUS to de-schedule cannabis and pardon those charges,” Fetterman said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “This Christmas, as a Senator, THANK YOU @POTUS.”
Biden announced Friday that he will commute the sentences of 11 people serving jail sentences for nonviolent drug offenses and will sign a proclamation to pardon certain marijuana offenses, including use and possession on certain federal lands.
“Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either,” Biden’s statement said. “That’s why I continue to urge Governors to do the same with regard to state offenses and applaud those who have since taken action.”
In October 2022, Biden announced pardons for thousands of individuals convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law. The president also directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reexamine how marijuana is scheduled.
The department sent its recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in August, reportedly advising that marijuana be shifted down from a Schedule I controlled substance — where it is currently classified alongside heroin, ecstasy and several other drugs — to Schedule III. The DEA’s final decision on rescheduling the drug is pending.
Fetterman celebrated HHS’s recommendation at the time, calling it “a massive win for the Biden administration and a strong step in the right direction on marijuana policy.”
Fetterman has long championed marijuana legalization. As Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, he advocated for the issue and defiantly displayed a pro-legalization flag, among others, from his office balcony.