Presidential candidate Gary Johnson appeared at the Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition in New York City on Thursday.

Johnson, the Libertarian Party's candidate, is the first U.S. Presidential candidate to give a special address at the CWCBE and the first to speak at a cannabis trade show. “In 1999, I was highest elected official to call for the legalization of marijuana. The bad news is - in 2016, I'm still the highest elected official to call for the legalization of marijuana,” said Johnson. “Although Bernie Sanders rolled out of bed , hit his head and is doing the same.” Sanders has said he would vote for legalization of recreational marijuana in order to reduce incarceration.

Johnson said that if he were elected President, he would immediately remove the schedule classification for marijuana altogether. Not just lower the class of the drug, but remove it as a classified drug completely. He added, “I predict that Obama will do that leaving office. He should have done it earlier.” Johnson pointed out that Obama has admitted he had smoked marijuana and never went to jail for it, while others have.

Johnson also brought up candidates Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton and their reluctance to admit the problems of incarceration. “When they aren't acknowledging this and they back away from legalizing it. It just slays me.”

Johnson was the Republican Governor of New Mexico from 1994-2003 and was considered a fiscally conservative governor. He went on to work with a marijuana company.

“I was the former CEO of Cannabis Sativa, a publicly traded company and as you all know, marijuana products directly compete with legal prescription drugs that statistically 100,000 people a year. There has not been one documented death due to marijuana,” said Johnson. “That should be choice.” The company's current CEO is former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel.

He also said that he believes that by legalizing recreational marijuana, it would lead to less overall substance abuse. Johnson also brought up the abilities of CBD to help epileptic patients to the receptive crowd.

“I think its an industry that's going to change the world dramatically,” he said.