Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:


After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.

History of the Cannabis Election Campaigns in the UK

LCA

LCA Manifesto

Sunday 13 Aug 2000

Legalisation first became an issue more than thirty years ago during the 'flower power' period of the sixties, for many of the participants in that period were confessed cannabis users. This campaign came to a climax in 1967, when the Times newspaper published an advertisement signed by many prominent businessmen, musicians, writers and doctors, calling for cannabis to be legalised.

The campaign continued, but came into national prominence again only in 1997, which was the first time candidates fought in a General Election on a legalise cannabis platform. The best known of the candidates was Howard Marks, who stood in four constituencies - Norwich North, Norwich South, Southampton Test and Neath. In Braintree, Essex, Buster Nolan stood as a 'New Millenium, New Way, Legalise Cannabis' candidate.

Although there was no formal party-political structure uniting these candidates, there was general agreement about policy. On September 28th> 1997, The Independent on Sunday newspaper took up the issue for a period of twelve months.

In the District council elections of 1998, Danny Tungate stood for Catton Grove ward in Norwich, and gained seventy votes - six percent of the votes cast.

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance was registered as an official UK political party and adopted the cannabis leaf as emblem in March 1999. In the local election in Norwich five candidates stood for the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, attracting between 2.9% and 5.5% of the vote: Danny Tungate, Christina Smith, Jeffrey Girling, John Crome and Michael Pryce.

November 1999 saw a by-election is the safe Conservative seat of Kensington and Chelsea, The Legalise Cannabis Alliance was represented by ex-Labour councillor and ex- Mayor of Carlisle, Colin Paisley, gaining just under 1% of the vote. This was considered by many to be a considerable achievement under the circumstances.

Another by-election in a supposed safe Conservative constituency was held in Romsey in May 2000. The seat, won by the Liberal Democrats, was contested on behalf of the LCA by Derrick large who received 417 votes, 1.1%. At the same time 5 candidates stood in Norwich local elections: Sarah Homes (2.1%), Michael Pryce (1.6%), Hugh Robertson (3.8%), Christina Smith (4.8%) and Trevor Smith (2.9%). Marcus Davies stood for the LCA in Peterborough East ward gaining 5.7%.

TAKEN FROM
CANNABIS: LEGALISE AND UTILISE
A MANIFESTO AND INFORMATION DOCUMENT
ISBN 0-9535693-1-4
Produced and published by:
The Legalise Cannabis Alliance
Price £5.00

Printed, published & promoted by the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, PO Box 2883, Stoke-on_Trent, ST4 9EE

 

 

 

After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back. 




This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.

Feel free to link to this page!