Kellyanne Conway—the former campaign manager and senior aide to former Republican President Donald Trump best known for coining the term "alternative facts"—was criticized after she uttered still more alternative facts, this time about marijuana "overdoses."
During an appearance on Fox News, Conway attacked Democratic Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman over his support for legalizing cannabis, noting he flew pro-marijuana and Pride flags from the balcony of his office during his time as Lieutenant Governor.
You can hear what Conway said in the video below.
\u201cKellyanne: He put the marijuana flag up. He thought that was funny.. Here\u2019s what\u2019s not funny. There\u2019s been a doubling of overdose deaths..\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1664242616
Speaking to Fox News personality Sean Hannity, Conway said:
“Not only has he not ... worked a day in his life, Sean, he hasn’t worked a day as lieutenant governor."
“He put the marijuana flag up. He thought that was funny. He’s trolling his opponent."
"Here’s what’s not funny: that there has been a doubling of overdose deaths in Pennsylvania.”
Marijuana is one of the most widely used drugs in the United States.
While it is possible to overdose on cannabis, there have never been reports of fatal overdoses.
Medical professionals noted a marijuana overdose is unlikely with smoking or vaping. People are much more likely to overdose on weed edibles because it is more difficult to determine the exact dose they are actually taking.
Marijuana is also a lucrative business in the states that have legalized it for recreational use.
Last year, a report by Leafly and Whitney Economics found that the marijuana industry created 77,000 jobs in 2020 alone. At the time, the firm noted that there are about 321,000 jobs in the legal marijuana industry across the country, which is more than the mining industry.
Legalization has also proven good for state budgets because of increased tax revenues. In Colorado for instance, the state collected a total of $387 million in 2020. The same is true in other states that have legalized marijuana, including California, which collects more than $50 million per month on average.
While Republicans have typically balked at legalizing the drug, citing concerns that doing so would increase crime, the data shows that legalization has not significantly affected crime rates. A CATO Institute study found that "violent crime has neither soared nor plummeted in the wake of marijuana legalization."
Conway was harshly criticized for her remarks.
\u201cKellyanne\u2019s Marijuana deaths statistics must have come from the same pop brain person who witnessed the Bowling Green Massacre.\u201d— Mrs. Tee Wiz \ud83d\udc51 (@Mrs. Tee Wiz \ud83d\udc51) 1664311626
\u201cThere has never been an overdose death from cannabis in recorded history.\u201d— Dr Lisa Skerritt \u2764\ud83d\ude4a\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffd\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf3 (@Dr Lisa Skerritt \u2764\ud83d\ude4a\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffd\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf3) 1664264486
\u201cI've read the research, it's virtually impossible to overdose on Marijuana. They've tried find out how much it would take but the subjects fall asleep long before they get close to overdose.\u201d— John Oberlin (@John Oberlin) 1664283986
\u201cIf she ever told the truth, do you think she would explode?\u201d— Ana (@Ana) 1664306067
\u201cYou would have to consume nearly 1500 pounds of marijuana within 15 minutes to lethally overdose.\n\nBut please, continue with these \u201cstats\u201d. @KellyannePolls\u201d— shut up, josh (@shut up, josh) 1664314818
\u201cThe #cannabis overdose deaths have doubled? Hmm...\nTwo times zero = zero\nThey have doubled and have stayed the same. Schrodinger's weed again...\nThank goodness Kellyanne is on top of this!\u201d— Peter Grinspoon, M.D. (@Peter Grinspoon, M.D.) 1664322277
\u201cThis is one of the dumbest things she\u2019s ever said and that\u2019s a high bar.\u201d— Appodlachia Podcast (@Appodlachia Podcast) 1664323308
\u201cNo one dies of a marijuana overdose, or I'd be dead already. \ud83e\udd23\u201d— Dual Reality \u262f\ufe0f\ud83c\udf3b\u262e\ufe0f (@Dual Reality \u262f\ufe0f\ud83c\udf3b\u262e\ufe0f) 1664289218
\u201cOne, John Fetterman has only been Lieutenant Governor of PA since 2019.\n\nTwo, I haven't heard of a death caused by ODing on marijuana.\n\nThis reeks of desperation by Republicans because they know Dr. Oz is behind in the polls.\u201d— April is not an incubator (@April is not an incubator) 1664287895
Republicans have continued to attack Fetterman amid concerns about the popularity gap between him and Mehmet Oz, the television personality best known as "Dr. Oz" who is his Republican opponent in Pennsylvania's Senate election.
Fetterman currently leads 51 percent to 41 percent—with seven percent undecided—according to the latest Pennsylvania Senate race poll. The Marist poll of 1,356 Pennsylvanians shows that Fetterman leads in all regions of the state except central Pennsylvania.
Fetterman has increased his popularity as a result of successful social media campaigns that proved necessary after he suffered a near-fatal stroke on the campaign trail in May.
He has typically capitalized on Oz's fumbles, most recently by using one of scandal-ridden Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine's sexually charged Instagram messages to illustrate Oz's thirst for "money, fame, and power."
Earlier this week, Oz was mocked for seeming to endorse Fetterman after he said that Fetterman looks like he is "kicking authority in the balls" every time he wears a hoodie instead of a suit, a claim that was quickly derided as classist.