Right, hands up anyone in Queensland politics who HAS NOT tried marijuana. Not you Lawrence everyone knows that the only numbers you've done are in the Nationals' party-room. Same goes for you Mark McArdle, the only thing straighter is a ruler.

There was something strange in the Sunshine State's air this week that prompted a rash of confessions from our political masters.

Wayne Swan was the first to come clean to having tried it a couple of times.

Then Anna Bligh admitted that 'yes' as a teenager she'd given it a bash at parties.

After which the confessional floodgates opened.

Minister after minister openly admitted to trying hooch.

However their stories all had a familiar ring, they'd tried it once or twice, hadn't enjoyed the experience. 'Actually now that you mention it, it left me them feeling a bit crook so I didn't bother with it again.

'Seems all a bit goody two shoes to me.

But then I suppose no Government minister would 'fess up to bonging on into the night and then slipping out to the nearest servo to load up on crumbed sausages and twisties to satisfy the munchies.

Emergency Services minister Neil Roberts took the confessional to new highs err heights. After indulging in a couple of tokes at a Toowoomba motel he then promptly raced home to tell his mum - puhlease.

Drug Arm isn't impressed, counsellors are concerned at the message this rash of confessions might send to young folk.

If impressionable teenagers see that people like Anna and Wayne and Lindy and Stephen gave the hooch a bash and then went on to live normal, even some would say successful, lives they might be tempted to give it a crack themselves.

More than 60 per cent of Australians over 14 years of age have admitted to using cannabis once in their life. A percentage of those people go on to use harder drugs and lead lives that spiral out of control.

And that's what Drug Arm education office Caroline Salom is concerned about.

"It's a bit of a worry when you think of the number of people who are admitting to having used the drug and whether or not people are going to see that as a positive thing."

I'm with her.

Anna Bligh, as the first female Premier of Queensland, is being held up to youngsters as a role model.

If she can make it in the Sunshine State then women can make it anywhere.

But her sin wasn't admitting that she'd tried whacky baccy a couple of times, rather that she didn't regret doing it.

Bligh said: "Did I experiment with it? Yes. Do I have major regrets about that? No."

She then went on to explain, "what I do have major regrets about is ever trying a cigarette."

And that sends a confusing message out to school kids.

Appropriately the Premier made her pot smoking admission standing in front of the Ipswich rail museum's only example of a puffing billy locomotive.

It makes you wonder what they get up to during those long cabinet meetings.

Not everyone in the cabinet room was a dope fiend. The only illegal thing Water Minister Craig Wallace would admit to is underage drinking, so is he drunk with power these days?

"No I wouldn't say that, just trying to do the best job but there's not enough beers."

I'll drink to that.

Your Comments

8 Comments

. rodney_murray - Mar 06 11:11am

I would be somewhat surprised it the sub 18YO know or care what the ministers did. Most would have difficulty concieving that the polis were ever young. So the message sent is largely irrelevant. Dope is upto 16 X stronger Hallucindrenic today.
For the record I tried it got the giggles but didn't like the loss of control,it scared me. Then again I was a crisis councillor at the time and I had witnessed the wrong side of effects.(flashbacks, psychosis and total cognative collaps

. hortonsnest - Mar 07 03:02pm

Remember'Big Bill'Clinton who never inhaled?

. chapster123 - Mar 08 04:33pm

Yawn. So what. What is the intention of this story? another than more waffle on the subject. Write something to get this backward st… err sorry, ‘smart state’ to catch up to other states and decriminalise it. If that is the intention of this story, then get to it.
Alcohol is legal yet not all of us end up hopeless alcoholics. Anything in excess is problematic, self-esteem and self respect of the individual is the real matter at hand. The other point being, especially for you so called e

. chapster123 - Mar 08 04:35pm

you so called educationalist and councillors, stop blaming the substances, substances are not the cause, the cause is within the individual and why escapism is sort, whatever form the individual chooses - workaholic, habitual tv watching, shopping, eating disorders, violence etc. etc. etc.
A motorcycle is not dangerous, it is the person who rides it that creates the danger, or not. Pot is a plant that grows in the ground, a part of nature for particular purposes, invalidate parts of nature at

. chapster123 - Mar 08 04:36pm

of nature for particular purposes, invalidate parts of nature at your own consequence. It doesn’t know how to be dangerous. No wonder it is us, many of us, that are mistaken.
Drug Arm? Haha, which arm do they inject?

. cobnjob - Mar 25 12:19pm

We have enjoyed Patrick's blog observations. All two of them. Come on, stop bludging Patrick and start saying something.

. cobnjob - Mar 25 12:20pm

We have enjoyed Patrick's blog observations. All two of them. Come on, stop bludging Patrick and start saying something.

. karl.corrin - May 16 12:41pm

HAVE JUST COME ACROSS YOUR LITTLE BLOG,WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH & WASTE OF SPACE THAT WAS. ALMOST ALL WHO REPLIED TO YOUR BLOG AGREE.WE STILL WONDER WHY GOVERNMENT IS STILL WASTING TIME & MONEY ON A WEED WHEN OUR HOSPITALS,EDUCATION ETC NEED THE MONEY SO MUCH MORE.

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