politicians and marijuana

Malcolm Turnbull confesses: I smoked marijuana | NEWS.com.au

Malcolm Turnbull confesses: I smoked marijuana

By Karlis Salna

September 26, 2008 01:28pm


ACTING Prime Minister Julia Gillard has admitted she smoked dope while at university, but didn't like it.

After federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull last night admitted he had smoked marijuana in the past, Ms Gillard admitted she too had tried it.

"At university, tried it, didn't like it," she said on the Fairfax Radio Network.

"I think probably many Australian adults would be able to make the same statement so I don't think it matters one way or the other."

Ms Gillard said she did not think it mattered that Mr Turnbull had confessed to smoking dope in the past.

"I can't imagine that it matters in any way shape or form, no."

Professor Jan Copeland, director of the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre in Sydney, said Mr Turnbull's admission was credible, responsible and not typical of politicians.

"I'm just sending him an email now congratulating him on his refreshingly honest, straightforward and well-informed response," Prof Copeland said.

"I think we've had some pretty unedifying responses to this question in the past from politicians that have not been seen as particularly credible ... but he was honest."

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan and Environment Minister Peter Garrett have also admitted smoking cannabis in their university days, while Opposition frontbencher Tony Abbott has said he has had a "half-hearted puff".

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has not commented on his use.

In an interview on ABC Television's Q&A program, Mr Turnbull said people of his generation had not known the severe consequences of smoking marijuana.

"I think now with what we know about marijuana, I think it is a very serious drug, and it is a drug that we should strongly discourage everybody, be they young or old, but obviously particularly young people, from using," he said.

Prof Copeland she said hoped the message would help to further lower the nation's rates of cannabis use, particularly among males in their teens and 20s.

Statistics show that 750,000 Australians use cannabis weekly and 300,000 use it daily. One in eight teenagers have smoked it in the past year.

Rates have been consistently falling for more than a decade, but it is still the nation's most common illicit drug.