NIGHT AT THE FORUM

Participants

Alex Atamanenko, Incumbent NDP MP Brenda Jagpal, Liberal Party
candidate Andy Morel, Green Party candidate Rob Zandee, Conservative
candidate

Voter Question:

Have you ever smoked marijuana and would you support the legalization
or decriminalization of marijuana?

Zandee: No I haven't and quite frankly, I don't know enough about it to know
if I support the legalization of it or not, I know there's a lot of issues
surrounding, if we legalize it there's going got be some serious issues
going across the border...I would think that's one of the largest influences
if we're going to look at that."

Atamanenko: "No, never tried it. About that time probably it was coming
into
vogue, I quit smoking. So I never wanted to have anything going into my
lungs as of 1968.

"There has to be certainly a decriminalization. We have to look at
this to make sure we get the criminal element out and make sure there
is a sensible policy that's developed in this whole area of
legalization and decriminalization."

Morel: "As a teenager, I have tried it. And as an adult, hopefully
maturing, I no longer consider it to be appropriate. I haven't for years.
I'm also an athlete and felt the effects of smoking anything is not good for
my health.

"As far as the Green Party is concerned, we believe in the
legalization of marijuana. But we also believe in the strict control
for adult use only."

Jagpal: "No I haven't tried it and I also haven't looked at the party
policy. My personal opinion is it should be legalized or controlled.
Government doesn't need to control peoples' lives, they need to control
their own lives."