Marijuana is "not a drug, it's a leaf," according to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who made the comment during an interview with the U.K. edition of the magazine GQ.

The Associated Press reported Oct. 28 that Schwarzenegger, who has acknowledged smoking marijuana during the 1970s, adding that his "drug of choice" at the time was "pumping iron."

A spokesperson for the governor, Aaron McLear, later said that Schwarzenwegger was joking. "The governor was doing an interview with the host of 'America's Got Talent,' the newest version of the gong show," he said. "Of course the governor understands marijuana is a drug. It's like when he goes on Leno or the Daily Show, if you took something like that out of context, it might seem shocking but it was in a silly entertainment context."

In the same interview, Schwarzenegger said he would not chastise politicians who did not admit their past use of illicit drugs. "What would you rather have? A politician taking stuff and not saying, but making the best decisions and improving things? Or a politician who names all the drugs he or she has taken but makes lousy decisions for the country?" Schwarzenegger said. "A politician's job is to do what's best for the people and to improve the country, the economy, the environment. Why should I care if a politician takes sleeping pills every night so long as he can do his job?"