Bernie Sanders is pro-marijuana, yet he is still concerned over some of the harms of the drug, especially in reference to teens.
The senator recently stopped by Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont, for a town hall where he spoke about a wide range of topics from climate change and health care to teens smoking marijuana.
“It’s terribly important for me to hear what’s on the minds of young people. They are the future of the country,” said Sanders.
A member of the audience asked Sanders’ opinion regarding Biden’s marijuana pardons, and the effect that that would have on marijuana charges. Per the Bennington Banner, the question was met with an excited reaction from the audience, which made Sanders frown.
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Sanders said that the topic of marijuana is one that often is brought up in high school events. “That worries me, to tell you the truth,” he said. Still, Sanders said that while he’s not a fan of drugs and alcohol, he believes marijuana should be legal in every state in the U.S.
Sanders also made sure to differentiate between marijuana and other drugs that have more serious and dangerous side effects. “Heroin is a killer drug,” he said. “Fentanyl is even worse, and fentanyl sometimes gets mixed in with the heroin. … Marijuana is not heroin, it is not fentanyl, it should be not lumped together.”
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Sanders has long been a proponent for the decriminalization of marijuana, and its legalization. When Biden’s pardon was issued, Sanders supported his decision, sharing his approval on Twitter.
I have long believed that marijuana should be legalized and those arrested for possession should be pardoned and have their records expunged. The President’s executive action today is an important step forward, but much more needs to be done.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 6, 2022
“I have long believed that marijuana should be legalized and those arrested for possession should be pardoned and have their records expunged. The President’s executive action today is an important step forward, but much more needs to be done,” he wrote.
