Bernie Sanders is a boss. Despite the fact that he didn’t win his presidential campaign, Sanders has continued to fight for what he believes in. Including his opinion that the war on drugs has failed.

Sanders recently launched a petition to end the war on drugs, recognizing that it’s done nothing to defeat the deadly drug epidemics that have faced our country for years. Sanders wants to see drug addicts get the treatment they need, rather than the punishment they don’t deserve.

Sanders also strongly supports the legalization of medical marijuana, recognizing the medicinal properties it contains. As far as recreational weed is concerned, Sanders said he would vote “yes” as a resident of a state that was considering legalization.

He also supports bringing an end to federal prosecution of cannabis, believing that states should be able to choose whether they want to allow recreational marijuana.

Sanders Believes the War on Drugs is Not Just Ineffective, But Harmful as Well

According to Sanders’ website, feeltheburn.org, as of June 2015, 48 percent of all federal inmates are incarcerated for drug-related offenses. This is compared to 2.9 percent of the US prison population that is behind bars for homicide, aggravated assault, and kidnapping charges.

The war on drugs, Sanders contends, has ruined far too many people’s lives. There is a mass incarceration of non-violent offenders, something that Sander’s believes is directly linked to high unemployment rates throughout the country.

“If you do not believe that there is a correlation between high youth unemployment and the fact that this country has more people in jail than any other country on Earth, you would be wrong,” says Sanders. “Now, how does it happen that in this great nation, we have more people in jail than the communist authoritarian country of China, which has over three times our population? And in my view — and I feel this very, very strongly — instead of locking up our young people, maybe it’s time we found jobs for them and education for them.”

What is Bernie Sanders’ Stance on Legalizing Marijuana?

Sanders stands strongly behind the federal legalization of medical marijuana. In 2001, he co-sponsored the States’ Rights to Medical Marijuana Act, which would have turned marijuana into a Schedule II Substance.

While this obviously didn’t pass and marijuana is still considered by the feds to be as dangerous and addicting as heroin, this hasn’t stopped Sanders from continuing to fight what he believes in.

Sanders also believes in ending federal marijuana prohibition. He’s said he supports states’ rights to choose and that if he were a resident of a state that was considering the recreational legalization of cannabis, he would vote yes.

“Let me just say this — the state of Vermont voted to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and I support that. I have supported the use of medical marijuana,” said Sanders in 2015. “And when I was mayor of Burlington, in a city with a large population, I can tell you very few people were arrested for smoking marijuana. Our police had more important things to do… Colorado has led the effort toward legalizing marijuana and I’m going to watch very closely to see the pluses and minuses of what they have done. I will have more to say about this issue within the coming months.”

Help End the War on Drugs and Legalize Marijuana by Signing Bernie Sanders’ Petition

You can help end the war on drugs and push for marijuana legalization by signing Bernie Sanders’ petition.

“The criminal justice system is not the answer to drug abuse,” reads the petition. “Addiction is a health problem and we should start treating it that way.”

Click here to stop the war on drugs and help the federal legalization of cannabis.