Pubdate: Fri, 10 Jan 2014
Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.ottawasun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329
Authors: Don Peat and Joe Warmington

MIXED SMOKE SIGNALS

Ford Backs Off After Using Sports Show to Riff on Legalization of Spliffs

Mayor Rob Ford isn't high on the idea of getting into the marijuana 
legalization debate any time soon.

And nor will he be joining his Liberal nemesis Justin Trudeau's team 
to look for more lenient treatment of those who smoke it.

But for a few minutes Thursday it almost looked like he was.

"The Conservative government up here is very, you know it's job 
creation, it is stimulating the economy but I've questioned that too 
sometimes why wouldn't they at least decriminalize it and try to get 
revenue from it," the mayor said on Washington D.C. radio show, The 
Sports Junkies.

However Thursday night Ford said he didn't mean for it to sound like it did.

"I am not getting into federal issues like that," Ford said. "That's 
a federal issue. I am going to stick to municipal issues."

He admits he did try to weigh into when asked but he said he really 
isn't up on the debate that does not fall into his elected purview 
and probably should have stayed away from it.

"I was trying to explain it was a federal thing but you know on that 
show they are always throwing curve balls," he said, laughing.

And he admitted it was a pitch that seem to buzz him around the ears.

"That probably won't happen up here (in Canada) because we have a 
Conservative government," Ford told the radio hosts. "They're very 
strict when it comes to marijuana and any other drugs - so it's not 
going to happen here. Maybe down in the States but not up here."

The right-wing mayor - who admitted last year to smoking "a lot" of 
pot in his past and who is currently battling a crack cocaine scandal 
while running for re-election - endorsed the Conservatives in the 
last federal election.

"We have medicinal marijuana, so a lot of people that are sick use it 
but they won't legalize it or decriminalize it, so I don't think 
they're going to ever do it unless the government changes," Ford told 
the U.S. radio hosts. "I don't see the Conservative government ever 
letting that happen."

In August, Ford admitted to smoking weed after federal Liberal Leader 
Justin Trudeau and Premier Kathleen Wynne made headlines with their 
own pot-smoking confessions.

"Oh, yeah," Ford said at the time, smiling. "I won't deny that. I've 
smoked a lot of it."

Police documents released by the courts since then include details 
from Ford staffers talking about the mayor smoking marijuana at his 
home and having a joint in his City Hall desk.

Ford has denied most of the staff allegations and even threatened to 
sue some staffers.

After months of denying he's smoked crack, Ford admitted in November 
that he had done that drug and told council he had bought illegal 
drugs since taking office.

"Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine," Ford told reporters on Nov. 5. 
"No, do I? Am I an addict? No.

"Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably 
approximately about a year ago."

The Toronto Sun revealed in 2010 that Ford successfully beat a 
marijuana possession charge in Florida in 1999 before he was first 
elected to council.

Ford was charged with driving under the influence, driving without 
headlights on and possessing marijuana under 10 grams - he had a 
joint in his back pocket when he was pulled over.

According to Florida records, Ford pleaded no contest to driving 
under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

He was found guilty and fined $664.75.

When asked about Canadian drug laws in August 2010, Ford - then a 
mayoral candidate - said they were "absolutely right."

"I think the laws are appropriate and I'm not one to say we should 
legalize marijuana. I've never said that and I wouldn't want to see 
that happen," he said.

  - With files from Shawn Jeffords
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom