“If smoking marijuana doesn’t hurt anybody else, why shouldn’t we allow people to do it and not make it criminal?” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Schumer to introduce bill to decriminalize marijuana

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Thursday that he would introduce legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, marking a significant shift in policy for the Democratic leader and lending the movement to lower government barriers to the drug a powerful ally.

The top congressional Democrat told VICE News in an interview set to air Thursday night that legislation to increase access to marijuana is “long overdue” and that far “too many people” have been affected by the government’s crackdown on the drug.


“I’ll be introducing legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level from one end of the country to the other,” Schumer said, according to a clip of the interview released by the outlet.

He added: “I’ve seen too many people’s lives ruined because they had small amounts of marijuana and served time in jail, much too long. Ultimately, it’s the right thing to do. Freedom.”

Schumer’s announcement comes as the Trump administration has moved to limit the proliferation of legislation to decriminalize and legalize marijuana at the state level. Earlier this year, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded an Obama-era initiative that paved the way for states to pass more laws expanding access to the drug.

Schumer called Sessions’ decision to rescind the so-called Cole memo, which effectively limited federal prosecutions of groups or individuals who sold pot in a manner legal under state laws, “a very bad one.”

“I believe that the States should continue to be the labs of democracy when it comes to recreational & medical marijuana,” Schumer tweeted in January. “Jeff, this is one place where states’ rights work. Let each state decide.”

Schumer had previously voiced support for states having the right to decide whether to adopt laws legalizing or decriminalizing the drug. His announcement on Thursday marked the first time he has openly backed federal legislation to decriminalize the substance.

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“If smoking marijuana doesn’t hurt anybody else, why shouldn’t we allow people to do it and not make it criminal?” Schumer told VICE.

Last week, the push to lessen restrictions gained another prominent ally in former House Speaker John Boehner, who joined the board of Acreage Holdings, a firm that cultivates, processes and dispenses marijuana.

