Vance was among the nine members of the Senate Banking Committee who voted in the minority against the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act in September 2023. That bill is still pending floor action, and Democratic leadership has repeatedly described it as a priority without advancing it further, but Vance said he opposed it in part because he believes it would inadvertently make it easier for illicit operators to traffic other drugs such as fentanyl. Asked about his opposition to the legislation in April 2024, the senator argued that it “was crafted in such a way that actually would have opened up access to banking resources for fentanyl traffickers and others.” There’s no clear evidence that that’s the case, but Vance has more generally discussed his concerns with the fentanyl trade on several occasions. (7/15/24)
During a campaign event with the Milwaukee Police Association in Wisconsin, Vance said he spoke to a police officer who told him that "we’ve got fentanyl in our marijuana bags that our teenagers are using," echoing a claim about laced cannabis that’s been routinely contested by advocates and certain state regulators: "Look, I’m the parent of three young kids… A seven-year-old, a four-year-old and a two-year-old. We don’t have to worry about this yet, but I’m certain—because kids are kids—that one day, one of my kids is going to take something or do something that I don’t want them to take. But I don’t want that mistake to ruin their life. I want them to learn from it. I want their parents to be able to punish them. I don’t want our kids to make mistakes on American streets and have it take their lives away from them," he said, suggesting that he recognizes when his children grow up they may experiment with certain substances such as marijuana, but he’s more concerned with potentially lethal contamination. (8/16/24)
When asked about Ohio legalization, he said he is "not a fan of recreational marijuana," adding that he thinks "that where you've seen [cannabis] legalized you see youth usage rates go up, you see traffic fatalities go up." (11/10/23)
"The SAFER Banking Act could pave the way for more widespread marijuana use and federal legalization. The Department of Justice also noted that this bill could facilitate money laundering. I am worried that this could open the door for other illicit activities, like the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamines, to access depository insurance." (10/26/23)
"My view on weed is, like, we have to strike a balance between, you don't want people thrown in prison for having a dime bag. That mercifully doesn't happen most of the time in this country. I also think we haven't quite figured out how this new regime coexists with not polluting our public spaces, right? This is, like, a big frustration that I have, you take your kids downtown Cincinnati to go to a restaurant, and you walk by, like, five people who are stoned. It smells terrible. I don’t want that. I think it’s states need to be a little bit more aggressive about public use enforcement. And, frankly, we just need a different cultural sensibility. If we're going to go into this more open regime, people have to actually take some responsibility and not do it around, y’know, six year old kids." (5/2/24)
Vance was among the nine members of the Senate Banking Committee who voted in the minority against the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act in September 2023. That bill is still pending floor action, and Democratic leadership has repeatedly described it as a priority without advancing it further, but Vance said he opposed it in part because he believes it would inadvertently make it easier for illicit operators to traffic other drugs such as fentanyl. Asked about his opposition to the legislation in April 2024, the senator argued that it “was crafted in such a way that actually would have opened up access to banking resources for fentanyl traffickers and others.” There’s no clear evidence that that’s the case, but Vance has more generally discussed his concerns with the fentanyl trade on several occasions. (7/15/24)
"A lot of times … look at the underlying charge — it wasn’t just that they smoked a joint, it’s that they smoked a joint and then beat an elderly woman over the head with a pistol." (10/10/22)
When asked about Ohio legalization, he said he is "not a fan of recreational marijuana," adding that he thinks "that where you've seen [cannabis] legalized you see youth usage rates go up, you see traffic fatalities go up." (11/10/23)
"The SAFER Banking Act could pave the way for more widespread marijuana use and federal legalization. The Department of Justice also noted that this bill could facilitate money laundering. I am worried that this could open the door for other illicit activities, like the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamines, to access depository insurance." (10/26/23)
"My view on weed is, like, we have to strike a balance between, you don't want people thrown in prison for having a dime bag. That mercifully doesn't happen most of the time in this country. I also think we haven't quite figured out how this new regime coexists with not polluting our public spaces, right? This is, like, a big frustration that I have, you take your kids downtown Cincinnati to go to a restaurant, and you walk by, like, five people who are stoned. It smells terrible. I don’t want that. I think it’s states need to be a little bit more aggressive about public use enforcement. And, frankly, we just need a different cultural sensibility. If we're going to go into this more open regime, people have to actually take some responsibility and not do it around, y’know, six year old kids." (5/2/24)
Vance was among the nine members of the Senate Banking Committee who voted in the minority against the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act in September 2023. That bill is still pending floor action, and Democratic leadership has repeatedly described it as a priority without advancing it further, but Vance said he opposed it in part because he believes it would inadvertently make it easier for illicit operators to traffic other drugs such as fentanyl. Asked about his opposition to the legislation in April 2024, the senator argued that it “was crafted in such a way that actually would have opened up access to banking resources for fentanyl traffickers and others.” There’s no clear evidence that that’s the case, but Vance has more generally discussed his concerns with the fentanyl trade on several occasions. (7/15/24)
During a campaign event with the Milwaukee Police Association in Wisconsin, Vance said he spoke to a police officer who told him that "we’ve got fentanyl in our marijuana bags that our teenagers are using," echoing a claim about laced cannabis that’s been routinely contested by advocates and certain state regulators: "Look, I’m the parent of three young kids… A seven-year-old, a four-year-old and a two-year-old. We don’t have to worry about this yet, but I’m certain—because kids are kids—that one day, one of my kids is going to take something or do something that I don’t want them to take. But I don’t want that mistake to ruin their life. I want them to learn from it. I want their parents to be able to punish them. I don’t want our kids to make mistakes on American streets and have it take their lives away from them," he said, suggesting that he recognizes when his children grow up they may experiment with certain substances such as marijuana, but he’s more concerned with potentially lethal contamination. (8/16/24)