Paul decries 'war on drugs' in Washington state campaign stop

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is decrying the "war on drugs" in a speech to supporters in Washington state.

The Texas congressman told more than 1,000 people at a rally Thursday night in Vancouver, Wash., that Americans should be able to make their own decisions on such matters.

Voters in Washington are likely to decide this year whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

Paul was spending Thursday campaigning in Idaho and Washington and has rallies planned Friday in Richland and Spokane. He is expected to hit most of Washington's media markets before the state's nonbinding caucuses on March 3.

Paul is the second Republican to hold a major public event in Washington state. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum was in Olympia and Tacoma last Monday.