Former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway is pushing alternative facts again.
During an appearance on Fox News on Monday, the notoriously dishonest Donald Trump ally attacked Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman for his outspoken stance on cannabis legalization.
As lieutenant governor of the state, Fetterman last year flew pro-marijuana and rainbow flags from the balcony of his office, rankling Republicans.
“Not only has he not … worked a day in his life, Sean, he hasn’t worked a day as lieutenant governor,” Conway told Fox News’ Sean Hannity, who had introduced the segment by mocking Fetterman’s difficulties with speech since he suffered a stroke in May.
“He put the marijuana flag up. He thought that was funny. He’s trolling his opponent,” Conway added. “Here’s what’s not funny: That there has been a doubling of overdose deaths in Pennsylvania.”
There has not been a doubling of marijuana overdose deaths in Pennsylvania.
According to the Pennsylvania Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention, there was a 3% uptick in drug overdose fatalities from 2020 to 2021, the large majority of which involved fentanyl or opioids. No marijuana overdose deaths were reported by the office.
Nationwide data also contradicts her claim. A graph by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing U.S. drug-involved overdose deaths from 1999 to 2020 shows no figures for marijuana overdose.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at…
