Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom talks gun control, marijuana

GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking on gun control and legalizing marijuana in separate propositions on the California ballot this fall.

Why do you support legalizing marijuana?

"I don't think you have to be pro-marijuana to be anti-prohibition. People like me, and I think millions of others out there, believe that the war on drugs has been an abject failure. It's been a disproportionate war that's been waged against people of color and poor folks."

"States like Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, have moved in a new direction. California has a chance to do that this November."

"We're going to build off the new regulations on medical (marijuana), establish a framework for adult use, and regulate this drug in a way that's more aggressive than even Colorado, Oregon, Alaska or Washington."

Proposition 63 would ban large-capacity ammunition and also require background checks for ammunition purchases. Critics say we don't need it, and bad guys are going to get guns anyway. What do you say?

"I say since 1993, we've seen a 56 percent decline in gun-related deaths in the state because of California's progressive gun safety measures. We've respected the Second Amendment, but we believe in background checks. We've done it for guns, but we haven't done it for ammunition. California would be the first state in the United States to treat ammunition exactly the way we do guns."

"Here's an interesting fact. Ammunition today can be sold anywhere. There's no licensing required. Daycare centers can sell unlimited rounds of ammunition -- anyone with a business license. We would require a license for ammunition sales, we would require background checks on the people selling that ammunition, and we would treat it simply the way we do with guns."

You're a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton and a vocal critic of Donald Trump. What does Clinton have to do to counter charges that she is corrupt?

"I have enormous respect for Hillary Clinton. I have enormous respect for her intellect ... She gets it, and I think she's someone who can get it done."

"The issue of trust is a major issue. Of course that's something she's got to continue to battle, particularly with the drip drop of these emails. But you contrast that by the remarkable mistrust that Donald Trump advances every single day, or reinforces every single day by almost every other statement."

Watch the video above for more from Newsom's interview.