Dr. Oz faces John Fetterman in unprecedented Senate race — and cannabis is on the table

In addition to his lucrative evidence-free advice, Dr. Oz recently said that legalizing recreational cannabis in PA would make people lose their motivation to go to work.

Celebrity Doctor Mehmet Oz officially became Pennsylvania's Republican Senate candidate when his opponent Dave McCormick conceded on Friday despite Oz's razor-thin lead of less than a thousand votes. (Benzinga)

Oz will now face Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in what’s expected to be one of the most-watched and most expensive Senate races in U.S. history.

Why it matters 

Oz, endorsed by Trump, and Fetterman a progressive giant are seeking to fill the open Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Pat Toomey (R) and by doing so gain control of the 50-50 U.S. Senate.

What one magazine is saying about the unlikely candidate

Scientific American, the oldest continuously published magazine in the U.S., says that Dr. Oz should not be a senator nor a doctor, that his brand of misinformation has already tarnished medicine and will do much worse in the halls of Congress. 

“Dr. Oz has long pushed misleading, science-free and unproven alternative therapies such as homeopathy, as well as fad diets, detoxes and cleanses. Some of these things have been potentially harmful, including hydroxychloroquine, which he once touted would be beneficial in the treatment or prevention of COVID. This assertion has been thoroughly debunked.”

Add that to Oz’s cannabis conclusions

In addition to his lucrative evidence-free advice, Oz recently said that legalizing recreational cannabis in PA would make people lose their motivation to go to work.

"There are not enough Pennsylvanians to work in Pennsylvania, so giving them pot so they stay home is not, I don't think, an ideal move," he told Newsmax.

Though it's not clear how Oz came to that particular conclusion.

The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania was 4.9% in March and more than 80% of jobs lost since the pandemic began have been recovered, according to an official government website.

Oz also warned against fostering an "emotional addiction" to cannabis.

"I don't want young people to think they have to smoke a joint to get out of their house in the morning," he said.

"We need to get Pennsylvanians back at work. You gotta give them their mojo, and I don't want marijuana to be a hindrance to that." 

This guy needs his mojo back

Lt. Gov. Fetterman, who supports legalizing cannabis, is still recovering from a stroke he suffered days before he won the May primary and has since undergone a pacemaker implant procedure. He has not yet returned to the campaign trail except for video appearances.

This past Friday, Fetterman released a statement saying he should have taken his health more seriously and had not seen a doctor in five years.

by Maureen Meehan