Ohio Gov. John Kasich says he is "totally opposed" to legalized marijuana, but wouldn't fight to enforce federal anti-pot laws in states that have legalized it, such as Colorado and Washington.
Appearing Tuesday on
Hugh Hewitt's radio show, Kasich admitted he had had not thought much about the issue, but said he would do so now. He said despite the federal law, he considers it a states' rights issue and wouldn't take action as president to reverse laws passed by states.
"The people in those states have voted that way. The federal government decided to look the other way," he said.
Kasich is considering a run for the GOP nomination for president in 2016, but has not made an official announcement.
If elected president, Kasich said, "I would lead a significant campaign down at the grass-roots level to stomp these drugs out of our country. We're doing it in Ohio in a variety of ways, through education, prosecution."