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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Former cannabis supplier to stand for parliament LCA LCA Press Release Wednesday 11 Apr 2001 A man convicted, in 1992, of conspiracy to import cannabis and conspiracy to supply cannabis has been accepted as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Norwich South on behalf of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA). Alun Buffry, 51, an author and Internet publisher, is amongst the concerned people selected to stand for the LCA. A chemistry graduate from the University of East Anglia in 1971, he served two concurrent sentences of ten years for his part in the cannabis conspiracy. Ten months of that sentence was served in the maximum security prison HMP Whitemoor near Peterborough. Mr Buffry said: "Although I took part in the conspiracy, I do not believe that I harmed anyone. I believe cannabis is a beneficial plant that could help literally millions of people who suffer from a wide range of ailments including stress and pain. I broke the law and served my sentence productively, working to raise funds for charity and organise an annual fun day for Mencap in the grounds of Blantyre House prison in Kent, learning computer skills and writing several books. "Both inside and outside of prison, I have met many people who have said that they find cannabis helpful. I have also met very many dealers of cannabis, at least some of whom seem to have had no concern for purity or quality and a small number of whom have also supplied hard drugs. "One thing I am sure of is that the law that bans cannabis achieves nothing positive - it will never be effective against such potential profits that prohibition has created. "I feel very strongly that the punishment of people for the cultivation or possession of a plant is wrong. When those people are sick from such dreadful ailments as MS, AIDS, cancer, epilepsy, asthma, chronic arthritic or other pain is intolerably inhumane and must be stopped. "I have decided to make a stand for my beliefs at the next General Election, to draw attention to what must be one of the biggest legislative blunders in recent history. Government seems intent on avoiding a public debate because they have no sensible justification for the law. So I want to give people a chance to send a clear message that we want the law changed. "Cannabis is not just about having a joint - it is an issue that concerns health, education, law, human rights, pollution and the environment and much more - an issue that should concern us all." NOTES FOR EDITORS Legalise Cannabis Alliance web site http://www.lca-uk.org E-mail LCA lca@lca-uk.org E-Mail Alun Buffry AlunBuffry@lca-uk.org Telephone 01603 442215 The Legalise Cannabis Alliance have also selected prospective candidates in Braintree, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, Romsey, Penrith and the Border, Carlisle, Workington, Worthing East and Shoreham, Hull, Fife, Halton and Denton. Formed as a political party in 1999, the LCA has adopted the cannabis leaf as the emblem to appear on ballot papers. The annual conference held this year at UEA, attracted speakers such as former cannabis smuggler Howard Marks and the retired head of Scotland yard Drugs Squad, Eddie Ellison Howard Marks was the first person in the UK to stand for parliament on a Legalise Cannabis ticket in 1997 in both Norwich North and Norwich South. Colin Paisley, ex-Labour party councillor and former Mayor of Carlisle, stood for the LCA against Michael Portillo in the 1999 by-election in Kensington and Chelsea, coming eighth of the eighteen candidates. Charles Clarke, present MP for Norwich South, admitted that he used cannabis as a youth but is against easing the law, at the elections Hustings in Norwich in 1997. Alun Buffry is author of "From Dot to Cleopatra", a concise history of Ancient Egypt, published by Frontier. http://www.paston.co.uk/users/webbooks/fromdot.html The Legalise Cannabis Alliance manifesto has been published under the title "CANNABIS: LEGALISE AND UTILISE, A MANIFESTO AND INFORMATION DOCUMENT", ISBN 0 9535693 1 4. The publication, spiral-bound, 60 pages A4, is available direct from the LCA, through Amazon.co.uk and through all good bookshops, priced £5.00. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0953569314/webbooks05 The Legalise Cannabis Alliance does not run a membership, regarding the issue as cross-party.
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