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WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, called on Wednesday for marijuana to be removed from the federal government’s list of the “most dangerous” substances.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The United States has five categories<\/a> for drugs and drug ingredients under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I is reserved for what the Drug Enforcement Administration considers to be the “most dangerous” drugs lacking\u00a0currently accepted medical value<\/a>\u00a0and carrying the highest potential for abuse. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside substances like heroin and LSD.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sanders said at an event at George Mason University in Virginia that marijuana should be taken off the Schedule 1 list.\u00a0The Washington Post first reported<\/a>\u00a0the news.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIn the United States we have 2.2 million people in jail today, more than any other country. And we\u2019re spending about $80 billion a year to lock people up. We need major changes in our criminal justice system \u2013 including changes in drug laws,\u201d Sanders said at George Mason.\u00a0\u201cToo many Americans have seen their lives destroyed because they have criminal records as a result of marijuana use. That\u2019s wrong. That has got to change.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n