Source: Article , Evening News, Norwich

Date: 17 April 1997

CANDIDATE PUTS DRUG ON AGENDA

A former drug smuggler has turned Norwich into the base for an election campaign to have Cannabis legalised.

Howard Marks is fighting the Norwich North and South seats, as well as three others around the country, on behalf of the Campaign to Legalise Cannabis.

But his political opponents claim he is a self-publicist and could give Norwich a reputation as a drugs centre

Mr Marks, 51, gained notoriety in the 1970~s and 80~s when he was said to control 10% of the worlds Cannabis supply

After years on the run, he was jailed in America for 25 years in 1988, the sentenced (sic) was reduced to 20 years, of which he served seven before being paroled His autobiography, Mr Nice, is named after one of his 43 aliases, taken from the identity of a real person of that name on a passport he bought in Norwich in 1978

Today, he spelled out his motives for standing: I've got children and I don't want them and their friends to go to prison for what they do and I know that unless the law is changed they will do. A lot of people feel cannabis should be legalised.

But his Tory opponent in Norwich North, Dr Robert Kinghorn, said: 'It does Norwich no favours to give the impression that this is a centre for drug use".

Labours candidate in Norwich South, Charles Clarke said "Howard Marks' motives are all to do with self-publicity"