Canada’s politicians queried on their marijuana use

By Marc Montgomery

Ever since federal Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau admitted last week that he had smoked marijuana on a handful of occasions, the media has been asking many Canadian politicians if they’ve smoked pot.

In July of this year, Mr Trudeau proposed legalization of marijuana as a way to better regulate it. He later told an interviewer that he had smoked it since becoming a member of Parliament.

Since then the media have tried to make an issue of it by asking the question of almost all politicians at all levels of government.  Some have since pre-empted the question

Toronto’s colourful and controversial Mayor Rob Ford, “Oh yeah, I won’t deny that, I’ve smoked a lot of it,© Chris Young-CP

The Premier of the small maritime province of Prince Edward Island, Robert Ghiz, says he has smoked marijuana in the past.

Now aged 39, Premier Ghiz joked that he has been expecting to be asked about whether he has tried pot for the last 10 years, ever since he took over as leader of the provincial Liberal party when he was only 29 years old.

Toronto’s controversial mayor, Rob Ford, says he’s smoked pot when cornered by reporters. “Oh yeah, I won’t deny that. I’ve smoked a lot of it,” he laughed.

He was asked following a statement earlier that day by Ontario’s recently nominated Premier, Kathleen Wynne, who said she smoked marijuana 35 years ago, before she got into politics.

Yesterday Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter joined a chorus of Canadian politicians admitting they’ve used marijuana. “Like every other person that I knew back in the 70s when I was at university — some of who are in this room — I tried it,”

Office staff of Official Opposition leader Thomas Mulcair of the New Democratic Party, answered for him saying only he has smoked marijuana in the past, but not since becoming an elected official.

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty also responded to the question saying, “Yeah, in my teenage years… a couple of times, I have to admit: I didn’t like it.”

During the election campaign in 2011, former Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff  said he smoked it as a young man, but urged young people not to repeat the experience adding,“It did not ruin my life but I just think there are a lot more important and interesting things to do with your life, including a glass of wine after dinner, eh. Let’s all relax here”..

As for the Conservative Party leader and Canadian Prime Minister, his office says Mr Harper has never smoked marijuana  and pointed out he has asthma precluding smoking anything .  When he was asked directly during a news conference, the Prime Minister, who has a rather conservative image and demeanor, elicited some laughter when he responded to a reporter’s question by asking back, “Do I seem like I smoke marijuana?” He has also chided Mr Trudeau saying he showed a lack of judgement.

The media seems to be trying to make an issue of something the general public is not terribly concerned about.  A poll released Saturday by Forum Research suggests that most Canadians support reforming federal marijuana laws, with 69 per cent of respondents indicating that they support either decriminalization “for small amounts of marijuana” or legalization as long as it is taxed. A majority of every group, by age, gender, region, income, education, religion, ethnicity and party preference, favour one of those two options.