Waimate ward representative Sandy Mulqueen (52) made the admission in an interview on Jim Mora's National Radio panel yesterday.
"I used to drive buses for the Auckland Regional Authority (ARA) in Auckland, and I was stoned a lot. I never had one complaint from anyone, either from staff, inspectors or the public that were riding on my bus.
"I didn't have one accident while I was driving."
Police yesterday played down any chance of the councillor's campaign to legalise cannabis gaining the top-level support needed to change the law.
Cr Mulqueen made a submission proposing the council, in its long-term plan, back a project to legalise cannabis. She claimed the move would result in health benefits for the community and boost council funds.
Cr Mulqueen confirmed to the Otago Daily Times she was a cannabis user herself, and had been for more than 33 years.
"I understand the risk that puts me in, but I'm prepared to take the consequences."
Cr Mulqueen's submission called for the council to back her "We Desire Change" project, which would distribute information leaflets throughout the district and then, with the aid of the council, lobby for a law change.
Her submission said if cannabis was legalised and made available through a licence to grow the plant, it could help provide the district's young people with the sense of responsibility they needed to "straighten up and fly right."
She said yesterday her project had already gained more than 900 members, and her supporting Facebook page had more than 1000 supporters.
She added that if the council adopted the proposal to charge members and supporters for a $20 supporter's card, the funds raised should be more than enough to cover the costs of the promotion campaign.
"The response to my new Facebook page has been incredible. The little group I have started ... it's growing every day.
"I hear in the news all the time that councils waste money, councils should get back to core business, but councils are constrained. They don't have a lot of income options.
"That realisation, coupled with my desire for legalisation of cannabis, brought me to seeing things in a way that could benefit all of us, councillors, ratepayers and cannabis users.
"We haven't seen the half of what cannabis can do for us."
Although she said there was strong support for her campaign within the community, she acknowledged that the idea had not gone down well with Waimate Mayor John Coles.
"The mayor would like it go go away, because he doesn't want to front this."
Mr Coles said the submission would be treated like any other individual submission and it would be up to the council to make a decision at the end of the submission process. However, he added only the Government could change the law.
"It is not a local council problem."
Police have also indicated that the submission would have little impact on policy in Waimate.
Mid South Canterbury area commander Inspector Dave Gaskin said the police took their lead regarding the legality of any substance from the Government, not the district council and that would not change.
Insp Gaskin said the Government was the only body with access to the full information to make any decision on legalisation.
"I find it strange that a councillor would have enough information to even make a recommendation in relation to that."
He added that this year from July 1, 2011, to the end of last month, police across the district, which stretches from the Waitaki River to Rakaia, had recorded 69 offences for the supply of drugs and 247 offences of drug use.
