"Given the rapid pace of state-level legalization and liberalization, I believe we must implement strong, clear and fair federal guidelines," Kennedy said. "To do that requires us to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and legalize it at the federal level."
Kennedy said that while he is still concerned about the public health impact of marijuana, the best chance to deal with prevention and treatment for those addicted to it would be to treat it as a public health issue and not a criminal one.
READ MORE: Trail-Blazin': Canada Becomes Second Country to Legalize Recreational Marijuana
The statement of the US Congressman comes after Canada became in October the second country in the world to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. A total of 33 US states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana in some form.