A long-time supporter of ending the war on drugs in America, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders reiterated his position at Thursday night’s Democratic debate in Brooklyn. “This is the difference between the secretary and myself,” he said. “We have got to have the guts to rethink the so-called War on Drugs.”

Sanders reaffirmed calls to end the federal prohibition of marijuana, a position he has consistently voiced along the campaign trail.

“Too many lives have been destroyed because people possessed marijuana — millions over a 30 year period,” he said. “That is why I believe we should take marijuana out of the federal Controlled Substances Act.”

In response Hillary Clinton said that “we recognize that we have a set of problems that we cannot ignore and must address,” though she failed to address the number of lives that have been destroyed as a result of her husband’s infamous crime bill.

Senator Sanders’ proposed measure, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2015, would remove marijuana from the federal government’s Controlled Substances Act and open the door to marijuana legalization and regulation across the country.