Former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico called on President Barack Obama to take major federal action to decriminalize marijuana on Tuesday. After spending most of his career as a Republican, Johnson was the Libertarian Partys presidential candidate in 2012 and has left the door open to running again in 2016.

One of the greatest offenses against liberty over the past several decades is the failed War on Drugs, Johnson emailed supporters on Tuesday. Millions of lives have been adversely impacted by arrests and convictions for simple possession of marijuana, and billions of tax dollars have been spent prosecuting Americans for a simple choice that even President Obama admits is no more harmful than consuming an alcoholic beverage.

Johnson insisted there was a quick remedy Obama could enact to end the criminalization of marijuana. What many dont realize is that the president and the attorney general have the authority right now -- today -- to remove marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, Johnson insisted. Taking this common-sense step would effectively end the criminalization under federal law of simple marijuana possession.

I have advocated this overdue reclassification for years, Johnson continued. With a majority of Americans now favoring the legalization of marijuana, two states having voted to legalize it, and several others considering doing so, the time has come for the president to act. As I have said many times, the American people are ready to do the right and smart thing, but where are the politicians? To date, with few exceptions, they have been missing in action on this issue.

Johnson praised 18 members of the U.S. House who wrote Obama last week to remove marijuana from Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act and the former New Mexico governor said he gave that effort his wholehearted support. Johnson plans to use his Our American Initiative group to help that effort.

Liberty means being free of government prosecution for simple personal choices that do no harm to others, Johnson insisted. More than 100 million Americans have, at one time or another, made the simple choice to use marijuana. Isnt it time to stop calling those Americans criminals?