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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Howard Marks blasted over telly cash
Abby Alford South Wales Echo
Monday 24 Apr 2006 An MP today challenged former drugs baron Howard Marks to donate the money he made from a TV appearance to a charity working to stamp out drug abuse. Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon made the call after Marks appeared on prime time ITV1 show Heartbeat as a hippie picking magic mushrooms. In last night's programme, Marks' character Steve was found trespassing on land belonging to a local lord and when challenged told local character David Stockwell he was picking the mushrooms to sell in London. David then picked his own batch and sold them to Lord Ashfordly, who began to hallucinate. 'Drug taking of any sort is not a joke,' said Mrs Moon. Any programme that projects drug-taking as funny and amusing is irresponsible. I would've thought ITV would've known better.' Oxford-educated Marks, who grew up in Kenfig Hill, near Bridgend, was once regarded by US authorities as one of the country's top public enemies. It was said he was responsible for moving much of the cannabis used in the western world in the 1970s and 1980s. After serving seven years of a 25-year sentence in America he became an international celebrity and wrote an autobiography, Mr Nice, which sold more than 700,000 copies in the UK alone. Mrs Moon said: 'Howard Marks was an extremely bright and able young man. 'After university he could've come back and been an advocate and leader of his community. Instead, he squandered all of that and always makes me feel 'what a wasted life'. 'I challenge him to give something back to his community by donating the money he was paid for Heartbeat to the KPC (Kenfig Hill, Pyle, Cornelly) Youth Project.'
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