RALPH NO DOPE WHEN TALKING POT

Call it Alberta Gold.

Premier Ralph Klein wants to know what legalized marijuana might do for
provincial coffers -- but also questions what it might do to Alberta coughers.

"I am ambivalent on the legalization," Klein said of the issue raised this
week by a Senate report on the illegal weed.

"But certainly before we jump in to develop a government position on this
particular matter we would want to know all the facts."

Among those he would survey, Klein said, were "police authorities, other
people involved, health authorities and so on." And, he added, "Revenue
people."

The Senate report suggested that marijuana could be a regulated product
handled much as is alcohol.

Alberta last year earned over $507 million from liquor sales and licences.
That's up from $481 million the year previous.

The premier, who has said in the past he tried marijuana but found it
induced paranoia, dubbed the Senate report "interesting."

"It's so easy for an unelected body like the Senate to wade into a
controversial issue like marijuana and make a recommendation.

"I think it's going to be very interesting to watch how the House of
Commons deals with this report; the elected people."