DID THEY INHALE? NOW, THE ANSWER MAY BE 'YES'

It used to be that inhaling marijuana was cause for alarm in politics. Now,
it seems, not inhaling is cause for an apology.

In a Democratic presidential debate this week, the moderator asked whether
any candidate was ready to admit he had smoked the stuff. Former Vermont
Gov. Howard Dean, North Carolina Gov. John Edwards and Sen. John Kerry of
Massachusetts said they had. Others said they hadn't or refused to answer.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut supplied the most surprising response.
Not only did he say he hadn't smoked marijuana, he actually apologized
after saying so.

It may have been a joke, or a toss-off comment that belied his discomfort
with such a young audience at this debate sponsored by CNN and Rock the Vote.

Either way, something is very different in America.

Not so long ago, answering yes to the have-you-used-marijuana question
would doom you as a serious presidential candidate. You didn't joke about
it, and you certainly didn't say, "I'm sorry,'' after answering no. In
1992, Bill Clinton suffered barbs after uttering his now-famous line: "I
didn't inhale." Now a candidate is actually apologizing for never having
inhaled.

What's going on?

Experts disagree. For local Republican political consultant Kevin Yowell,
Lieberman's answer was "bizarre."

"That's one of the strangest debate responses I have ever heard," he said.
"Apologizing for obeying the law? Unfortunately it says something about the
kind of people the Democratic presidential candidates have to appeal to."

Others say it's just a window into society's changing views. In the new
millennium, support for legalizing marijuana has risen to its highest level
in 30 years of polling, according to a USA Today/CNN/Gallup survey. The
poll found that 34 percent favored legalizing marijuana.

And as more children of the '60s rise to positions of responsibility, more
candidates feel comfortable saying they have used marijuana - in the past.

In the most recent presidential election, Al Gore acknowledged previous
marijuana use, while George W. Bush refused to answer questions about
rumored cocaine use in the past.

And now, "basically (Lieberman) was apologizing for being a nerd," said
University of Kansas political science professor Burdett Loomis. "I mean,
how did he get out of the '60s without smoking pot? That's what I want to
know."

Yowell, on the other hand, doesn't see the apology as a good sign. "Four
years from now they'll be apologizing for not being off in Bimini with
girls who are not their wives."

While such escapades haven't gained acceptance, marijuana has - if only
provisionally. Since 1996, eight states have followed California's lead and
passed laws allowing cannabis to be used for medicinal purposes with a
physician's approval.

While no state has yet decriminalized possession of marijuana, voters in
some states, such as Arizona and Nevada, have seen the question on the ballot.

That's not to say the war on drugs has lost its vigor.

In October, Tommy Chong, formerly one-half of the pot-smoking comedy duo
Cheech and Chong, began serving nine months in a California prison for
selling "water pipes," associated with marijuana use, on the Internet.

Chong's wife, stand-up comic Shelby Chong, will kick off her "Free Tommy
Chong Tour" in Kansas City with performances Thursday through next Saturday
at Stanford & Sons Comedy Club in Overland Park.

Shortly after Tommy Chong's sentencing in September, local rock radio
station KYYS-FM (99.7) sponsored a rally in support of the famed stoner.

As for Lieberman, his campaign has officially stated he "is aware of
reports that marijuana may provide therapeutic relief for some individuals,
but isn't aware of any reputable studies to support this. He opposes
legalizing a drug that many health professionals believe has greater health
risks than therapeutic benefits."

Lieberman, however, later told the leader of a marijuana advocacy group in
New Hampshire that he was "sympathetic" to those who say they need medical
marijuana, according to a July story in The Union Leader, New Hampshire's
largest newspaper. He also was quoted saying he would probably sign
legislation allowing seriously ill people to use medical marijuana with a
doctor's permission.

KU's Loomis wouldn't be surprised if a lot of candidates eventually shifted
their positions.

"This is a pretty common cultural thing," he said of marijuana use. He
wouldn't say that about all illegal drugs.

"You notice you don't hear anyone saying, 'I quit my coke habit 10 years
ago,' or 'I went cold turkey on heroin.' Those are still big cultural
no-nos. But marijuana, it's just so pervasive. . It's still smoked by a
fair number of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. There's almost no shock
factor anymore."

The Star's Brian McTavish contributed to this report.