Subj: Cannabis "uniquely safe", city man tells jury in drug trial

Date: Aug 3, 1998

Source: Evening News, Norwich

CANNABIS "UNIQUELY SAFE", CITY MAN TELLS JURY IN DRUG TRIAL



A jobless city man who told jurors cannabis was not a drug and should be

legal was convicted of two offences of possessing it.



A Norwich Crown Court jury took less than 20 minutes to find Simon

Beavis, 32, guilty on friday.



Beavis raised an unusual defence for the jury to consider, according to

Mr Justice Blofield.



But the judge warned him: "if you come to court again, I don't see how a

court can avoid sending you to prison".



After the verdicts the court heard that in 1988 Beavis was fined for

possession of cannabis resin and in 1992 jailed for 6 years after being

convicted of conspiring to supply the drug.



During that trial, Beavis, of Lollards Road, was said to have been part

of a drugs ring importing cannabis from the continent. "It was clearly

quite a substantial operation" said prosecuter Richard Wood.



Mr Wood told the court that police found small amounts of cannabis resin

and herbal cannabis on Beavis at his home on february 6th.



When he was interviewed he said he knew it was cannabis and he enjoyed

smoking it.



Beavis did not go into the witness box but made a statement saying he

was challenging the law on cannabis possession.



Beavis claimed cannabis was not a drug but a non toxic substance which

had never killed anyone.



It was non addictive and "uniquely safe" with medical properties which

could save lives.



"Referring to cannabis as a drug is very misleading and untruthful" he

said. He was fined a total of 200 pounds and ordered to pay 200 pounds

costs.