AN OLYMPIAN BONG SHOW

I'm going to go out on a limb and make a prediction.

Sponsors of Michael Phelps' motivational speech slated for March 3 in
Calgary will not cancel the event.

If anything, attendance will get a boost after a photo showing the
Olympic gold medalist smoking a bong hit the papers.

The controversy raging around Phelps is a perfect reflection of
society's confused attitude toward marijuana use.

In Canada, polls show 53% of respondents favour legalization of the
drug. In the U.S., 42% of Americans have tried marijuana at least once.

The British News of the World felt the photo was scintillating enough
to pay big bucks for. Many adults who've experienced a passing
familiarity with the demon weed during a certain phase of their life
are unlikely to be outraged.

The same can't be said for the rat who took the photo at what was
supposed to be a private event, then pocketed what was likely a
substantial chunk of change for peddling it.

If anything, Phelps' bong show reveals a human side to this
personality-challenged athlete who seemed more automaton than human
as he swam his way to eight gold medals in Beijing.

It's not hard to understand how a young man who devoted years of his
life to training in the cloistered world of competitive swimming
might have been a little shortchanged in terms of maturity and wisdom.

Phelps apologized for his "regrettable" behaviour and "bad judgment."
Then again, who wouldn't be sorry when so many millions of dollars in
endorsement deals hang in the balance.

Things have changed since a cloud of controversy blew up around the
1998 gold medal win of Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati after
traces of marijuana were found in his urine.

Phelps doesn't have to worry about his medals, but the world of
celebrity endorsements is less forgiving.

A ROLE MODEL

Some say because Phelps is a role model for young people, he deserves
what he gets for committing an illegal act.

Then again, speaking of role models, Barack Obama and a couple of
other U.S. presidents have admitted smoking marijuana in their youth.

The reality is most of us -- if we haven't smoked it ourselves, have
been exposed to marijuana use -- and so have many of our teenage children.

While we can't protect our kids from that contact, we can point out
the importance of making the right choices -- as illustrated by
Phelps' current dilemma.

The controversy and the possibility he may face charges will revive
the debate on marijuana laws.

Pro-pot advocates make some compelling arguments, such as the impact
of organized crime and relatively benign nature of the substance.

There might be room for decriminalization -- not legalization -- of
simple possession and we need to pay more heed to the benefits of
medical marijuana.

But the jury is still out on the physical and mental effects of
chronic marijuana use.

Pot proponents will hoist Phelps on their shoulders as a shining, if
reluctant, example of why the drug should be made available on the open market.

Coincidentally, a study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine released Monday shows use among 15-year-olds has seen
double-digit declines in Canada and the U.S.

Even though many Canadians have tried marijuana during their lives,
only a small percentage use it regularly. The drug remains on the periphery.

It ought to be kept that way.