Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, having recently returned to work in the Senate, tweeted yesterday:
It’s 4:20 on 4/20. That’s the tweet. pic.twitter.com/eG34QREjzP
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) April 20, 2023
It’s a little ironic to see one of Pennsylvania’s senators celebrating marijuana, as it is a crime to possess, consume, grow, or sell marijuana in that state. Possession, sale, cultivation, or possession or sale of paraphernalia can bring sentences ranging from a fine of $500 to $15,000 or incarceration of 30 days to five years, depending on the amount and other factors such as whether the sale is to a minor. Only medical-marijuana patients can legally buy and consume cannabis from state-approved dispensaries. The Pennsylvania state police said that 12,439 adults and 1,057 juveniles were arrested by law enforcement for simple marijuana possession in 2021.
Fetterman didn’t single-handedly write Pennsylvania’s laws, and in fact has pledged on the campaign trail to decriminalize marijuana. Then again, Fetterman was lieutenant governor for four years, with a Democratic governor and GOP-controlled state legislatures, and it’s clear his desire to legalize marijuana had no effect on the state’s laws. Again, it’s just a little odd to see a senator celebrating the joys of a substance that can get you put in jail in his own state.
But hey, at least we can all have confidence that Fetterman was of sound mind when he chose to hold up this banner and have it posted on his social-media feeds.