PM STRIKES CHORD WITH POT POSTER BOY

TORONTO -(CP)- Pot has been part of Ross Rebagliati's public image since
winning his Olympic gold medal in snowboarding, and he didn't shy away from
the issue yesterday when asked if marijuana should be decriminalized.

"Absolutely," said Rebagliati.

"Right now the whole idea of it being decriminalized makes the legal system
function at a level that it should be functioning at and not clogging up the
courts and the judicial system and even jails or whatever for something like
that.

"It's becoming more socially accepted now than it ever had been in the past.
I think right now it's almost the sign of the times."

The 31-year-old from Whistler, B.C., was in Toronto at a downtown Roots
store to promote Vancouver's bid for the 2010 Olympic Games.

Rebagliati was initially stripped of his snowboarding gold in 1998 in
Nagano, Japan, after testing positive for marijuana, but the medal was
reinstated.

At the time, Rebagliati said he hadn't smoked up for almost a year and he
was a victim of second-hand smoke at a party.

"It's up to the politicians to decide still," he said. "It's something that
comes up. It's not every day that you hear the prime minister talking about
decriminalization."

Justice Minister Martin Cauchon and Prime Minister Jean Chretien have both
said the Liberal government will introduce legislation soon to decriminalize
possession of small amounts of pot for personal use.

While Rebagliati and his lifestyle have benefited from the long shelf life
of his Olympic story and his medal, admitting he smoked marijuana was part
of the reason he retired from competitive racing.

He's not allowed into the U.S.

He needed a letter written by Roots co-founder Michael Budman to American
authorities to get across the border to Salt Lake City to watch the 2002
Olympics.

He hasn't been to Europe since his competitive racing days, but he believes
there would be problems travelling there and he knows going to Australia
would be a problem.