Dick Kaufmann, founder of California: 'Me? Take marijuana? Is that illegal? Is this for publication? No I haven't. Has anyone said they have? Wow! How stupid!' Andrew Bull, promoter: 'I'm the opposite of Bill Clinton, I've never smoked it but I have inhaled from being in the same room as other people smoking it at a party.' Joel Laykin, head of Laykin Communications: 'I grew up in LA [where] drugs are part of teenage life. But I had some kind of allergy to smoking. In LA you can smoke or breathe: I chose to breathe.' David Davies, head of First Pacific Davis: 'No.' Mark Amdur, head of Amdur-Tobin Advertising: 'You're gonna print this? Wild, man! I was a '60s hippy . . . draw your own conclusion. A lot of successful business people still have a taste for it: for a lot of middle-aged people it is as if drugs are legal.' Josie Ho, singer and daughter of Stanley Ho: 'Yes. I had some at high school in America. But I never had it again. It is dangerous and unhealthy and I would say to anyone tempted to try it: 'Don't bother'.' Ko Chi-sum, film producer and director: 'No way! I don't even smoke cigarettes.' Remo Riva, architect: 'I never inhaled. In fact, I never even tried it.' Lady Akers-Jones, wife of former chief secretary Sir David Akers-Jones: 'My husband and are from the wrong generation. We were too old for all that, even in the '60s.' Diane Butler, socialite: 'No.' Anders Nelsson, promoter: 'What is the point of this exercise? To get everyone into trouble? I have smoked weed in Bangkok but it didn't do a lot for me.' Nichole Garnaut, 1997 Group: (laughs for several minutes) 'Drugs aren't part of my lifestyle any more - they can't be when you run a nightclub. Anyone found in '97 with drugs or suspected of having drugs is thrown out and banned.' Judith McKay, anti-smoking lobbyist: 'I have never taken cannabis but one time at hospital, suffering from viral meningitis, I was given DF 118 - an opium derivative - and it was the most glorious, magnificent, intense experience. I have never dared go near anything so seductively powerful as drugs again.' Frederique Deleage, owner of Frederique's beauty salon: 'No, I've never smoked marijuana. I know it is no worse than alcohol or ordinary cigarettes but I am very, very health conscious so I never smoke anything.' Peter Sherwood, managing director of Edelman Public Relations: 'Yes I've smoked marijuana three or four times, about 15 to 20 years ago. It's better than drinking - alcohol does a lot more harm than that stuff.' Marc Faber, economist: 'Naturally, I have smoked a lot of marijuana but for breakfast I prefer omelette of Balinese mushrooms.' THE POLITICIANS Governor Chris Patten: Unavailable for comment.
Baroness Dunn, Executive Council: Never taken marijuana and is against legalisation.
Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, Legislative Council: 'No. I don't wish to sound puritanically uncool but I don't smoke, don't drink and have no desire to get high.' Christine Loh Kung-wai, Legislative Council: 'It was available at my university in England but I was an athlete and too concerned about my health to want to try it.' Martin Lee Chu-ming, Legislative Council: 'Of course not.' THE JUDGES Justice Penlington: 'Never. Ooh - wait a minute - I think I did. Yes, that's right I was at a party in New Zealand many, many years ago and two girls were puffing away on a joint. They handed it to me and I took a puff. It had very little effect and I remember thinking that considering a few joints cost the same as a bottle of whisky, I would stick with the whisky.' Justice Godfrey: 'Never been tempted. I am for decriminalisation. Since human beings are allowed to smoke themselves to death they ought to be allowed to smoke marijuana in the privacy of their own homes. The greatest obstacle to decriminalisation is that cannabis leads to other drugs but I understand that theory is losing sway.' Justice Kaplan: 'I am in favour of decriminalisation. I am not satisfied that it leads to more dangerous drugs. Its use is so widespread that it makes the law a ass. Otherwise upstanding citizens find themselves on the wrong side of the law and are alienated.
'I have two adult children and always advise them not to take it as it is a criminal offence.
'Decriminalisation would take away the profit motive and remove much of the criminal element. Perhaps it could be sold and consumed on specially licensed premises. Personally, I prefer cigars . . . have a nice smoke. Goodbye.'
