CHRETIEN HIGH ON POT STRATEGY

Prime Minister Jean Chretien says he's never smoked pot, but his government
is pushing ahead with a new marijuana law and a strategy aimed at keeping
teens off drugs.

In a speech last night at a Liberal fundraising dinner in Ottawa, Chretien
said his government will follow through with its "activist" agenda in the
coming weeks.

That will include a new law to decriminalize possession of small amounts of
pot -- a statement that got wild applause from the 1,000-plus Grits who
paid $500 a plate to dine with the PM.

"Don't start to smoke right away. We're not legalizing it, we're
decriminalizing it," the PM joked.

"I never smoked in my life -- yes, I smoked cigarettes when I was a kid
when my father didn't want me to smoke. When he gave me the permission at
16, I stopped. Marijuana was not known, so I never asked him permission (to
smoke it)."

Chretien said his government will not only try to discourage teens from
using drugs, but will also target drug traffickers.

But Ontario Attorney General and Lanark-Carleton MPP Norm Sterling said
that relaxing pot laws would not be high on his government's list of
priorities.

"I'm against this move ... primarily because it will have border
implications in terms of the passage of Canadians across our border (with
the U.S.)," Sterling said.

He said Canadians trying to cross the border would likely become victims of
the U.S. war on drugs.

In a Sun-Leger poll of Canadians released this week, 83% supported the
decriminalization of marijuana.