TORONTO

Even the famous perceived to be involved in illegal drugs are not necessary granted entrance into the United States.

Ask Ross Rebagliati.

The gold medalist in snowboarding for Canada in the 1998 Nagano Olympics knows how strict they can be.

And, he said, Mayor Rob Ford is about to find out himself.

“He could be in for a rough ride,” the snowboarding legend said Thursday.

It happened to Rebagliati and not for using crack cocaine.

“It’s not fun,” he said.

Ford, who recently admitted to in the past smoking crack cocaine, marijuana and to driving after drinking, is hoping to travel to Florida over the Christmas holidays with his family and later attend the NHL’s Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich. between the Maple Leafs and Red Wings.

As Shawn Jeffords reports, Toronto immigration lawyer Henry Chang said the mayor’s crack acknowledgment will be difficult for border guards to ignore.

Rebagliati’s experience tells him they likely won’t.

“I hope the best for him but the reality is he might not be able to go to the United States,” said the 42-year-old.

It all started after he won the gold medal in snowboarding at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Japan when he failed a drug test that showed a trace of cannabis found in his system.

He was stripped of his medal for 48 hours.

Later, it was determined he had not smoked any marijuana for a year before the Olympics but was still hanging around with friends who did.

Saner heads prevailed and his medal was restored and the terrific, fun and classy blond-haired snowboarder dude from Whistler came home not only to a hero’s welcome but was arguably the most famous athlete to come out of the Nagano Games.

He was the poster boy for Roots iconic clothing lines and made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

But when the jubilation died down, the border guards from the United States did not focus on this exciting gold medalist whose story is the stuff of movies but on the pot.

“They would not let me in,” he said.

And still won’t.

“Last December, my wife and I wanted to bring our two kids, one our new baby born in August (2012) down to California to see family and we crossed at the border near Vancouver and Washington State,” he said. “We were turned away.

“They took my licence, Googled my name and then asked me to come out of the car,” he recounted. “We waited there two hours. It was very cold and we were sitting on a bench and the kids were shivering, our bulldog was shivering and then they told us we couldn’t come in.”

All because of the publicity from the Olympics.

“I was never charged either,” he said.

But if you can’t beat them, join them.

Since his name is synonymous with marijuana he decided to get into the legal side of the business and sell medical marijuana to those who have a licence or prescription to purchase it. Rebagliati Gold online Medical Marijuana Dispensary at www.rebagliatigold.com is now in business.

His plan is to stay in Canada though.

“I had applied for a special parole type document that did allow me to travel to the States which I had for five years,” he said. “It is very tough because you have to go to a specific border crossing and present it and then you are put in a room like a cell because they don’t know at the border what you are on parole for.”

Rebagliati found it to be a humiliating experience.

“After it expired I said forget it, I didn’t bother renewing it,” he said.

He said he hopes Ford does not have to endure the same problems.

“In the United States marijuana is considered a Class 1 drug and cocaine is actually Class 2,” he said, adding it makes no difference to a border guard following federal guidelines who have every right to decide who should or should not enter.

“Justin Trudeau could have the same problem at the border,” Rebagliati said.

Premier Kathleen Wynne and a whole lot of other people, too.

“But I have seen politicians or sports stars with public convictions get in so it could be OK,” he said.

However, this Olympic legend is not welcome and fears Toronto’s mayor could also soon join the club or perhaps the border guards will just be happy to get a picture with his worship on his way south.