PM HASH-ES OUT HIS PAST

Recalls Nibbling on Brownies With 'Strange Taste'

THE PRIME minister was never a pothead but he admits to nibbling on a
hash brownie or two in his youth. Paul Martin, in a year-end interview
with CTV, was asked whether he ever smoked marijuana.

"I never smoked anything," Martin said. But he did say his wife Sheila
once baked some tasty brownies.

"I will tell you that there was an earlier time many years ago when
Sheila made brownies and I must say they did have a strange taste."

In several wide-ranging TV interviews yesterday, Martin vowed to
reintroduce a Chretien government bill that would decriminalize
possession of small amounts of pot.

While the issue has strained relations with the U.S., Martin said the
Canadian government would make its decision based on its values.

"We are an independent nation," he said. "I think it's important to
make clear to the Americans that we are not talking about legalization
and that there are going to be heavy fines (based on quantity) and
we're going to go after the grow ops. We're going to go after those
who distribute it," he said.

The PM said he doesn't think somebody should have a criminal record
for the rest of his or her life for possessing a tiny quantity of pot.

Pot Committee

He hinted that he'd like to see a new definition of what constitutes a
"small amount" of pot and invited a parliamentary committee to
consider lowering the limit from the original proposal of 15 grams.

But Martin also said he sees a health risk in pot use, adding that
"any doctor will tell you it's far from the best thing for you."

The Supreme Court of Canada is set to rule next week on whether the
current pot law violates the Charter of Rights by mandating criminal
penalties, including potential jail time, for simple possession.

Martin's comments signalled that even if the court upholds the
constitutionality of the present law he will move to reform it anyway.

Martin also waded into the issue of same-sex marriage, saying his
support for the unions is based on court rulings that are based on the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms. But he said that nothing would happen
until all sides have been heard.

"People are entitled to have a national debate," he said. "They're
entitled to see both sides of the question. That hasn't happened yet
and it's got to happen in Parliament."

The PM said there would be a vote on the issue, adding MPs won't be
bound by party discipline.

The 65-year-old Martin also toyed with questions concerning how long
he would like to remain prime minister. He told CPAC he thought two
terms would be about right, but in the CTV interview he said he has
often thought 10 years was the ideal amount of time to make an impact.