'POT-ICIPACTION' NOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM

Why is it that whenever politicians confess that they have smoked a
joint, they invariably respond as if they were walking through a minefield.

Do Stockwell Day and Bill Clinton really believe that by admitting to
smoking a little dope when they were young and foolish - as opposed to
when they were older and foolish - they are cleansing their past?

Voters, I suspect, are more interested in their ability to govern
fairly and develop a stable future.

So spare us the token confessions, lads. After all, we know life is an
endless series of stages. As toddlers we were potty trained. As youths
a great many of my generation were pot trained. In our partying years,
many of us had to become potted trained after drinking too much.

Participaction, once the fitness cry of the nation, has been for many
Canadians "pot-icipaction."

As one of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers used to say: "Smoke dope
will get you through hard times better than hard times will get you
through times of no smoke dope."

When I was a shaggy-haired youth I enjoyed many a joint venture. As I
grew older this need greatly diminished.

I also drank too much at one time. Now, I confine myself to a couple
of glasses of good wine. As I aged I chose to stimulate my senses with
fine food and good company. And, of course, vintage wine that enlivens
the mix.

I have long been an admirerer of American Dr. Andrew Weil's
life-sustaining manual, The Natural Mind.

Weil, now a holistic health practitioner, wrote his revelatory guide
to enlightenment in the 1970s. His revelation is that we are
constantly seeking new ways of altering our mental, emotional and
physical states.

When we are preschoolers we play simple games that excite us. When we
are teens we experiment with sex, alcohol and other body-altering
susbstances.

Weil's contention is that as long as we don't become dependent on any
single substance, we will eventually mature towards a state that
allows us to heighten our consciousness or awareness without the use
of any substances. Fly fishing, hiking, cycling, swimming, painting,
religion or a myriad of other pursuits will naturally increase life's
enjoyment if you let them.

The universal method Weil finally landed on - after sampling the
psychoactive power of plants grown in the rainforests of South America
- - was meditation.

His conclusion is that the mind is naturally psychoactive and it can
be pleasantly altered without stimulants or depressants. A little
rhythmic deep breathing and soon you'll attain greater grace and
depth. With practice you will attain liftoff or driftoff quite
effectively.

Beware the righteous. Whatever lifts your spirits, give it a try.
Avoid addiction and be prepared to move on. If a good cup of tea perks
you up, savour it, if the odd joint or drink gives you a boost, enjoy
it. If kayaking does it, paddle on. Just remember the lowest
consciousness has Himalayan potential and any dependence on any
substance will stunt your growth and postpone enlightenment.

Buddha, Jesus, Shakespeare, Jung, Joyce, Van Gogh, Mohammed and
countless others knew this to be true.

I still abide by that old Protestant hymn, Amazing Grace, which
rewards the recovered with stirring lines of salvation such as, "That
saved a wretch like me."