|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
UK: Vow To Open New City Centre Cannabis Cafe
Alan Roden Edinburgh Evening News
Thursday 02 Sep 2004 A LEADING supporter of Scotland's first cannabis cafe today vowed a similar outlet would be opened in the city centre. Cult publisher and author Kevin Williamson announced the move after Edinburgh Sheriff Court fined the owner of Leith's Purple Haze Cafe UKP 500 for allowing the drug to be smoked on the premises. Paul Stewart, who operated the cafe, yesterday admitted permitting cannabis use on the premises. The 37-year-old was arrested on January 29 - the night he opened his Portland Place "private members' club" and the same day cannabis was downgraded to a Class C drug. But Mr Williamson, the Scottish Socialist Party's drugs spokesman and founder of the Scottish Cannabis Coffeeshops Movement, today said the UKP 500 fine was a "token slap on the wrist". "I'm pleased Paul didn't receive a custodial sentence. A small fine of UKP 500 shows what a waste of police time and court time this was. This entire case has been a joke from start to finish but it is not going to put anyone off opening a new cannabis cafe. Our ultimate aim is to get cannabis out of the black market and what we are doing is morally right. I can say for certain that supporters will get together and discuss ways to open another cafe and this time it will be right in the middle of Edinburgh city centre." The Purple Haze opened in a blaze of publicity earlier this year, and members who paid UKP 5 to join the club were promised they would be able to use the drug on the premises - despite police warnings that it would be illegal. MSP Tommy Sheridan signed up to become a member of the cafe, which drew more than 100 people to its opening. But the cafe was raided just three hours after it opened and Stewart was arrested. The Purple Haze was subsequently put on the market after just one month. Stewart blamed "harassment" by the authorities for his decision to sell. In April, Stewart pleaded not guilty to the charges but changed his plea before yesterday's court appearance. He said: "I'm quite upset about the severity of the fine, but I'm glad it wasn't a custodial sentence. I decided to plead guilty to the charges because I didn't want to waste any more taxpayers' money." Procurator fiscal John Barclay told the court there was "a co-ordinated police response" on the cafe's opening day: "The accused was seen at the counter of the premises and could not have failed to see the bong and pipe or also smell the distinctive aroma of cannabis." When fining Stewart, Sheriff Noel McPartlin told him: "You are entitled to your point of view whether it is a good law or a bad law, but you are not entitled to campaign against it by breaking the law itself." Defence agent Matthew Berlow said, his client was now "a broken man" because of the adverse publicity. Stewart claims to have invested UKP 45,000 in the business and is considering offers over UKP 15,000 for the lease - which has about eight years to run. Because he is living on a minimum income, he was allowed to pay the fine at the rate of UKP 10 a week.
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!