Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Chretien (PM Chretien)

WORLD WONDERS IF HE'S GONE TO POT

OTTAWA -- It was meant as a joke, but that didn't stop Prime Minister Jean
Chretien's quip about possibly smoking pot in retirement from making
headlines around the world yesterday.

Reuters put Chretien's crack on cannabis -- made in an interview with the
Free Press -- on its global wire service. The story was picked up by the
U.S. Internet Web site, the Drudge Report, which rose to fame with its
scoops on the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal.

"Now Canada can understand why Prime Minister Jean Chretien seems to be in
such a hurry to push through a law decriminalizing marijuana," the Reuters
story said.

Chretien's comments prompted an RCMP public affairs official to phone the
Free Press to verify their accuracy. The official asked a Free Press
reporter whether the comments had been taped, which they had been.

The prime minister's remarks also prompted a Canadian television network
news program to call the Free Press, asking for information about the
interview.

The controversy over Chretien's marijuana comments even made it last night
onto CBC's flagship news program, The National. Chretien was on the
defensive yesterday when asked about the comments as he arrived at a
downtown Winnipeg hotel before speaking at a Liberal party fund-raiser.

"I never said I tried it -- I said someday I might be able to do it,"
Chretien told reporters.

Chretien repeated several times that he had never tried smoking pot.

During a wide-ranging interview with the Free Press, which was published
yesterday, Chretien outlined the rationale for a bill to decriminalize
marijuana and ended his explanation with the following comments made in a
joking fashion:

"I don't know what is marijuana," he said. "Perhaps I will try it when it
wi ll no longer be criminal. I will have my money for my fine and a joint
in the other hand."

Opposition Leader Stephen Harper has been a harsh critic of the Liberal
government's pot decriminalization bill. Harper said it's hard to tell if
Chretien is kidding with his remark about marijuana.

And he said the person who really should be asked for his opinion on pot is
Paul Martin, who will be the next prime minister.

Winnipeg Liberal MP Reg Alcock wondered if the fuss over Chretien's
comments means people have lost their sense of humour.

"Everybody should take a breath," Alcock said.

"The prime minister is clearly joking. He has that sort of sardonic sense
of humour. I see it as nothing more than a joke and it is too bad it is
being misinterpreted."

Earlier this year, Chretien's government ignored the protests of the U.S.
government to introduce a bill that would decriminalize the possession of
small amounts of marijuana. Smoking pot would remain illegal but offenders
would face fines instead of jail time.