Every week another celebrity either admits to enjoying a puff or is photographed in the act. Scenes of pot smoking are ubiquitous in Hollywood movies, almost always depicted in a positive manner, either as a fun disinhibitor for the straitlaced or a nostalgic trip down memory lane to happier times for boomers. So why are people so worried about me joining in and saying ''me too''?

The answer is that I am admitting to an illegal act. Which is why I say to all those tut-tutting my confession, take a look at the wine glass in your hand, the cig dangling in the ashtray, the marked form guide on the table, that bottle of sedatives in the bathroom, and ask yourself: if these things were illegal, how would you feel being labelled a criminal for indulging occasionally? Would you think it fair to be stereotyped as a blight on society, a criminal?

Before I go on, let me admit that, yes, I realise there are health risks such as schizophrenia associated with cannabis. Which is why I believe it should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco, to ensure its users are aware of strength and potency. I am not urging anyone else to smoke pot, or to try other forms of drugs.

The reason I am making this statement is that I see it as a community service of sorts - something I need to put my hand up and admit to so others will feel free to do the same. We need change - of attitudes and legislation - and this is my personal contribution to that vital effort.

The turning point for me was attending a screening of the documentary Breaking the Taboo (it aired on Foxtel last week), featuring luminaries all stating the bleeding obvious - the war on drugs is a total, utter and monumental failure that is costing the world economy billions, causing rampant crime, ruining countless lives, and stripping us of our rights. In other words, creating far more problems than it prevents.