Source: Evening Gazette, UK

Pub Date: Wednesday, 3 April 2002

Pub LTE: Cannabis cafe plan remains on the table

Contact: gazette_postbag@thisisessex.co.uk

CANNABIS CAFE PLAN REMAINS ON THE TABLE

Although I stood in last year's election, I can not say that I am an "experienced politician", unlike Councillor tom Hewitt, so you can imagine my shock when I read his comments in the press last week.

As an elected member I assumed that Mr Hewitt would make sure of his facts before letting his bigotry run away with him, but of course I was mistaken.

Apparently I am "irresponsible". However, I don't make statements to the press on subjects I am ignorant of, without any research into the subject.

This is obviously where I went wrong in June.

The fact still remains that I intend to open a community cafe selling hemp related products like paper, tea, coffee, clothing, etc, with a communal area for people to sit and chat, without drunks and swearing, and, with a few notable exceptions, enjoying plenty of support from the locals.

What are you going to do when the government relents to common sense, Tom? Resign, I hope.

Town councils need forward planners, not people who are still stuck in the last millennium. That is why we have seen Witham decline over the past twenty years to the state its in today.

Incidentally, thanks for the idea. I think I will call the cafe "Pipe dreams".

No matter how hard you try, Tom, you just can't halt change, so get used to it.