Wall admits trying pot!

At least no one attacked Wall for coming clean. What we need in the Saskatchewan election is a poll that could give up to date data for making predictions. I am surprised that no polls have been forthcoming so fra. Calvert looks dour enough to be against the legalisation of pot.

Saskatchewan politician admits he smoked pot
James Wood , CanWest News Service
Published: Friday, October 26, 2007
SASKATOON -- In Saskatchewan provincial circles, it's a story that's generating a lot of buzz. So to speak.

The province's party leaders, campaigning in a provincial election, were forced to reveal their past use or non-use of marijuana Thursday, after Saskatchewan Party leader Brad Wall told a reporter he had, in fact, inhaled.

Asked about the Saskatchewan Marijuana Party's call for legalization of the weed, Wall said his party opposed the notion. Asked whether he'd ever smoked the stuff himself, Wall paused, then confessed.


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Font:****"I'm going to have to now phone my mom and make sure I tell her how I had answered that question before you go to air," he joked.

Wall said his use of marijuana was "infrequent" when he attended university and "it didn't really do anything for me, luckily, because for some, it does lead to other things."

Wall ended up being the token toker among the three leaders of the main parties.

NDP Leader Lorne Calvert said he never used marijuana -- although he acknowledged he might have incidentally inhaled during his early-1970s university days.

"To be fair, when I was first a student at the University of Saskatchewan, I think a fair number of my colleagues did and indeed, wandering the hallways, I suppose, just secondhand . . . but not on a personal basis," he said to laughter from NDP supporters.

Liberal Leader David Karwacki also said he had not used marijuana.

Calvert said he did not think past marijuana use by a political leader was an issue at all, a point agreed to by University of Regina political scientist Ken Rasmussen.

Politicians today can be more honest about their past experience with marijuana and not suffer as a consequence, said Rasmussen, who said the issue is still a little overblown today.

"But (Brad Wall) probably did the smart thing in admitting it, because there's probably some people (who were) there, smoking with him," he said.

"He looks groovy and youthful now. He'll get the young vote."

Wall said he opposed the legalization of marijuana because he believes it does serve as a gateway to harder drugs, and there's no adequate test for drivers impaired by marijuana use.

Calvert doesn't favour legalization or decriminalization either, but added it's a matter for the federal government.

Karwacki said he does not favour legalization, but said pot should be decriminalized to keep young people from going to jail for possession.

Saskatoon StarPhoenix




© CanWest News Service 2007