Chuck Schumer is introducing legislation to 'decriminalize' marijuana at the federal level

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Sen. Chuck Schumer.

• Sen. Chuck Schumer is introducing legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level as early as next week.
• Schumer joins a growing chorus of bipartisan lawmakers who are advocating for marijuana legalization.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, is introducing a bill to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.

"Ultimately, it's the right thing to do. Freedom. 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 News in an interview airing on Thursday evening.

Schumer's bill would remove marijuana from the Drug Enforcement Administration's list of controlled substances, and would leave it up to states to decide how to regulate the drug, Vice reports.

"My personal view is legalization is just fine," Schumer said. "The best thing to do is let each state decide on its own."

He added: "I'm doing it because I think it's the right thing to do. I've seen too many people's lives ruined by the criminalization."

Schumer is joined by a growing bipartisan chorus of lawmakers calling for the federal government to update its stance on marijuana.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, who, like Schumer, could be a top presidential contender for the Democrats in 2020, signed on to Sen. Cory Booker's Marijuana Justice Act on Thursday.

And John Boehner, the former Speaker of the House, announced earlier this month he was joining the board of Acreage Holdings, a firm that owns marijuana cultivation facilities and dispensaries in 11 US states.

Even President Donald Trump indicated he would support a bill protecting state's rights to legalize marijuana, which is the intent of Schumer's bill. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was appointed by Trump, remains opposed marijuana legalization.

In January, Sessions rescinded Obama-era guidance directing the Justice Department to place a low priority on enforcing federal law in states where marijuana has been legalized.