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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Gaucho Marks
Morcambe Today
Wednesday 04 Oct 2006 Arguably the world's most famous ex-international drugs baron, HOWARD MARKS – whose one-man show comes to The Dome on October 6 – is now a leading campaigner for the legalisation of cannabis and as such, is hero worshipped by legions of students around the world. Our reporter GREG LAMBERT did what international police couldn't manage for 20 years when he tracked down 'Mr Nice' for a nice little chat... GL: How does your new book tour 'Senor Nice' differ from when you launched your first best-seller 'Mr Nice' a few years ago? HM: The format will be pretty much the same. I'll be reading modified extracts from the book, using some multi-media and taking questions. It's called Senor Nice because of my recent trip to South America. GL: You've travelled to so many different countries during your life – in fact you smuggled cannabis to and from most of them. What's your favourite? HM: Argentina. It has so many different cultures and of course, a large Welsh community. GL: You were born in Wales and then you attended Oxford University at the height of the swinging 60s. That must have been an education... HM: Yeah, it's where I first smoked dope. At first I wasn't that happy, being from a small Welsh village, a fish out of water. But I got to like it. I was quite a social guy and pretty popular. I guess the fact I was selling dope had something to do with it! GL: You campaign tirelessly for the legalisation of cannabis but why do you think the government still hasn't changed the law to decriminalise the drug? HM: I really have no idea. It's been illegal for 100 years and that fact is so well entrenched in our society. Had cannabis come along eight years ago, it wouldn't have been made illegal. But we're a lot closer now to it becoming legalised than we've ever been. It really isn't that dangerous a drug. There are so many worse things in this life that can kill you which are legal. Suicide, for example... GL: They say that during the height of your drug-smuggling activities in the 60s and 70s, you had 89 phone lines and 43 different aliases. Who on earth counts such things? HM: Well, I did, because I had to write a book about it! I did have at least 43 aliases, I lost count after a while. The most famous was 'Mr Nice', which became my nickname. He was actually a real person, Donald Nice, although he's dead now. GL: I've seen photos of you in disguise during that time and on one of them, you're the spitz of comedian Russell Brand. HM: (Laughs) Ah, so that's where he gets it from... GL: You were on the run for more than 20 years, dodging a massive undercover drugs squad operation, until you were eventually arrested in 1988. Did you think you'd ever get caught? HM: I did actually. It would have been foolish to think there was an invulnerability about me. I kind of always knew I'd get arrested. But it wasn't a nice experience when it actually happened. American police were involved and they were very heavy-handed with guns and everything. The worst thing about it was the effect on my kids, they saw me get taken away. GL: You spent seven years in the infamous US 'Death Row' prison at Terre Haute, Indiana. Is it right that you were a prison mate with Mike Tyson for a time, when he was imprisoned for rape? HM: No, he was in Indiana State Prison nearby. But we did get released on the same day. He got out into a media circus and I was sent to a deportation centre in Louisiana. Then I went back to my home in Marbella. GL: What was the first thing you did after being released? HM: Smoked a joint! I hadn't had one for seven years, but I managed OK without it. I saw it as a challenge. But as soon as I got out, I was back on it. GL: In the ensuing years you've 'gone straight' and become something of a celebrity. Is that something you planned while in prison? HM: Oh no, I couldn't really see beyond the gate when I was in there. I thought I might go back to teaching. When I got out I stood for Parliament, campaigning solely on the legalisation of cannabis issue. I lost my deposit. I did get 500 votes in each constituency but I guess it's hard to convince dope smokers to get out of bed and vote... GL: You've challenged any MP to have a public debate with you on whether cannabis should be legalised. Has anyone accepted yet? HM: Nobody has ever taken me up on it. I've had debates at universities but overall there seems to be a massive reluctance to talk about the issue. GL: And now you're coming back to Morecambe. HM: Yeah, it should go well. I should get a few students from Lancaster. In fact most of my audience is made up of students. Strange, that, I've never really worked out why... TO help launch his new book 'Senor Nice – Straight Life from Wales to South America', former drug baron Howard Marks will visit the Morecambe Dome on Friday, October 6.
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