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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Health Fears Grow Over Hunger Strike
News and Star, Carlisle Sunday 22 Apr 2001 FEARS are growing for the health of drugs campaigner Colin Paisley as he enters the fifth day of his one-man hunger strike. The ex-heroin addict and former Carlisle mayor is refusing to eat unless Jack Straw offers face-to-face talks on the legalisation of cannabis. And 64-year-old Mr Paisley, who is surviving on water and vitamin tablets, said today that he expected to die before the Home Secretary backed down. He said. "I do not expect to make much progress with the Government." Mr Paisley, who is standing at the General Election in Carlisle for the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA), admitted he did not have the full backing of his party. "The LCA is not entirely happy and everyone I have spoken to is trying to talk me out of it," he said. "But my main concern is for my cat. "Who's going to feed it if I can't?" Friends are concerned Mr Paisley might not be fit enough for a drawn-out hunger strike. Fellow LCA candidate Mark Gibson said yesterday: "Colin is certainly not in the best of health and something like this can only be detrimental. Our main concern is the risk to Colin personally." Mr Paisley says he has watched the cannabis debate move out of the public eye since the Government rejected a Police Federation report calling for the drug to be moved from class B to C, with possession punishable only by fine or caution. A Home Office spokesman denied any attempt to stifle a debate on the legalisation of cannabis. He said that if Mr Paisley wanted to meet Jack Straw he should put his request in writing for "proper consideration".
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