NO SMOKING POT FOR SKINNER - JUST A BROWNIE SURPRISE

Libertarian governor candidate Cal Skinner said Tuesday he's never smoked
marijuana.

He's eaten it, though.

Calling the "did you smoke marijuana" issue "ridiculous," Skinner confessed
to unwittingly downing some marijuana-packed brownies nearly 20 years ago.

Skinner, a former Republican state legislator from Crystal Lake whose messy
1983 divorce became public years ago, said he ate the brownies during a
birthday celebration in the early 1980s.

Unbeknownst to him, his now ex-wife added the special ingredient to the
brownies as a "surprise" birthday present for him.

"I did not know there was marijuana in the brownies," Skinner said. "My
ex-wife smoked marijuana, and I did not approve of it. I told her never to
(trick me) again."

Skinner said he ate three or four of them, then went to bed.

The admission came a day after Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rod
Blagojevich admitted to experimenting with pot as a young man. The
Republican in the race, Attorney General Jim Ryan, said he has never smoked
marijuana, nor does he anticipate the admission will become part of the
governor's race.

"Do I think it'll be an issue in the campaign? No, not really," Ryan said.

Skinner said he does not approve of marijuana use, even though the
Libertarian Party advocates decriminalization of the drug.