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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Progress Report - Nov 2001
Alun Buffry LCA
Saturday 01 Dec 2001 LCA: A true alliance! The Legalise Cannabis Alliance are pleased to announce that we have gained the endorsement to our Principles, Aims and Proposals from the main movers in most of the UK cannabis campaign groups. These include: Campaign to Legalise Cannabis International Association (CLCIA), London Cannabis Action, the International Cannabis Coalition (ICC), Green Party Drugs Group, UK Cannabis Internet Activists (UKCIA), Legalise Cannabis Scotland (LCCS), CC-News and the Medical Marijuana Cooperative (MMCO). Endorsees now number 1186. LCA Server Within a few days the Legalise Cannabis Alliance will be offering Internet access to subscribers who wish to support the campaign in this way. You will receive another message explaining how to log on through the new server, either pay-as-you- go or a standard £15 per month fee for unlimited access. If a large number of supporters change to our service (which will not be identifiable as a cannabis-linked server), we hope to generate enough income to facilitate a more effective campaign next year. NEW LCA PUBLICATION November 30 saw the publication of the Cannabis Campaigner's Guide, over 100 pages A4 spiral- bound, crammed full of information - history, politics, law, uses, medicine, industrial, contacts, facts and theory and much more. Now available from the LCA at just £9.99. Anyone reluctant to buy, please help the campaign by ordering a copy through your local library (if you are not a member just go in and join). This will help boost sales AND get the volume on the library shelf. Whilst there, why not order a copy of the LCA publication "Cannabis: Legalise and Utilise" at the same time. Here are the details that you will need: "THE CANNABIS CAMPAIGNER'S GUIDE" by C.D. Seeds ISBN 0-9535693-2-2 "CANNABIS: LEGALISE AND UTILISE" by the LCA ISBN 0-9535693-1-4 Both published by The Legalise Cannabis Alliance, PO Box 198, Norwich, NR2 2DH NEW NEWS LIST As from 1 December, the news list will be operated for subscribers only, at the low charge of £10 for the whole of 2002. This is to meet operating costs. The News Service will be operated by CCGUIDE. To subscribe to this list please e mail caninform@paston.co.uk for details of where to send your payment. RECLASSIFICATION? David Blunkett told a Home Office Affairs Committee that he intends to propose a reclassification of cannabis to a Class C drug, instead of class B. This was recommended earlier this year by the Police Foundation in their Runciman report. IF the proposal is adopted it will mean a change probably next Spring. What would that mean? * the maximum sentence for possession will be 2 years instead of 5 years; * the maximum sentence for supply will be 5 years instead of 14 years; * other convictions such as conspiracy or knowingly involved would also have reduced sentences; * people arrested on other offences may still get prosecuted for cannabis; * people cultivating cannabis without a license may still face prosecution; * people can still be arrested under other police powers, then searched; * as now, anyone arrested outside can have their house searched. ON the street, it will mean a great deal less work for police. The police may decide, in fact, to turn a blind-eye (as they already do sometimes) to non-troublesome smoking, or they may decide to stop you, confiscate your cannabis, give you a police warning, a caution, or summons you to court at a later date to be dealt with. Or they could still arrest you. But it means that the police would not HAVE to arrest you on every small possession that a person gets stopped for. It may well mean more smoking in public without hassle, even more dealers being more open, but IT AS A FAR CRY FROM LEGALISATION or even decriminalisation. Dealers may still offer crap cannabis or hard drugs, swap for stolen property etc, and will not be taxed. As far as I can see, although the proposal does show that this time the Home Secretary has chosen to listen to someone, the move is really of greater benefit to the police than the cannabis user or the public. Alun. NOVEMBER's ACTIVITIES, PRESS and LETTERS October 30: Alun Buffry had a letter printed in The Scotsman: "Victimless crime." http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n1864.a01.html November 1: Howard Marks was reported in the East Anglia Daily Times after he announced John Ramirez as the prospective Legalise Cannabis Alliance candidate in the November 22 by-election in Ipswich: "Cannabis Candidate For By-Election." http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n1849.a01.html November 1: Lezley Gibson (wife of Mark, Penrith & The Border) was on local BBC Radio and BBC Look North about their plans to open a cannabis cafe in Alston in Cumbria. November 1: Mike Cottee of www.WHSpliff.net, who plans to open a cannabis cafe in Taunton, Somerset, was reported in the Taunton Times. November 1: Chris Baldwin (Worthing East & Shoreham) was quoted in the Worthing Herald following David Blunkett's reclassification proposals. "Four months on, and it's all gone to pot for Chris." http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/wh011101.htm November 1: Eric's comments on the future of cannabis in the UK were reported in the Western Gazette's article "Will Country Go To Pot With The Weed Freed?" http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/eg011101.htm November 2: Mark and Lezley Gibson's plans to open their cannabis cafe were reported in the Cumberland News article "Town Split Over Couple's Plan For Cannabis Cafe." http://www.lca-uk.org/newsite/displayitem.php?articleid=533 November 2: Carl Wagner (Hull North) was pictured in an article in the Hull Daily Mail about his hemp market stall: "A stall to roll up for". http://www.ukcia.org/newsite/new_news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=4444 November 4: Biz Ivol story appeared in Scotland on Sunday: "Bitter Sweet End For Cannabis Candies". http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n1863.a02.html November 7: Carl Wagner (Hull North) has his letter "Cannabis Ban Neither Realistic Nor Sensible" printed in the Hull Daily Mail. http://www.lca-uk.org/newsite/displayitem.php?articleid=546 November 15: Chris Baldwin (Worthing and East Shoreham) announced the opening of a 'Dutch-style coffeeshop' in Worthing (W Sussex) on Meridian news (ITV), Southern Counties Radio & Spirit FM. Meridian held a phone poll, asking: Should we have cannabis cafes in the south? The result was: YES 54% - NO 46% (8% maj) "UK Cannabis Cafe On The Cards", Worthing Herald. http://www.ukcia.org/newsite/new_news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=4469 November 17: Mark and Lezley Gibson (Penrith & The Border) took part in a pre-recorded interview with Radio Wire FM, Warrington. November 19: Patman Denning (Milton Keynes South West) appeared on Crime Watch Daily along with Jerry Ham and others. November 20: Alun Buffry (Norwich South) did a short interview on the Martin Kelner show on BBC Radio Leeds. November 21: Carl Wagner (Hull North) had a letter printed in the Hull Daily Mail counteracting anti-cannabis propaganda: "View On Drug Misleading." http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n1957.a02.html November 21: Mark Gibson (Penrith & The Border) was quoted in the Ananova article about the Dutch Experience cafe plans: "More Amsterdam-Style Cannabis Cafes On The Menu." November 21: John Ramirez (Ipswich) had his 150 words of opinions printed in the East Anglian Daily Press as part of the by-election coverage. November 21-28, issue number 1631: The following UK activists were quoted in a series of articles in the London 'Time Out' magazine "Could changing the drug laws make London the new Amsterdam?": Alun Buffry (LCA), Shane Collins (Green Party Drugs Group), Caroline Coon (co-founder of Release), Andy Cornwall (Cannabis Coalition), Chris Saunders (ICC), Tim Summers (Cannabis Action, London). Mario Lap of The Netherlands Institute on Alcohol and Drugs, was also quoted. http://www.timeout.com November 29: Interview with Welsh Living Magazine. IPSWICH BY_ELECTION RESULTS: November 22: John Ramirez, the LCA candidate in the Ipswich by-election, gained 236 votes coming 7th out of 9 candidates. The turnout was just over 40% and the votes polled were: Mole (Lab) 11,881 West (Con) 7,794 Munt (LD) 6,146 Cooper (Christian Alliance) 581 Wright (UK Ind) 276 Slade (Green) 255 Ramirez (LCA) 236 = 0.86% Leech (Soc All) 152 Winskill (Eng Ind) 84 Although this was not a huge vote for John, it is important to remember that every vote was specifically for the legalisation of cannabis, a policy which the Green Party and Socialist Alliance also hold, although their candidates fail to bring what many of us think is adequate attention to this issue. John's campaign was also SEVERELY limited by lack of funds, since few people only decided to help financially. My own feelings are that we need to enter a by-election with at least £5000 to spend and a committed team of activists to campaign on a daily basis. It is also apparent that many supporters of our cause have not yet appreciated the effect that our candidates have, both amongst the electorate and the other candidates and their party bosses. Indeed, one has only to look at what happened in 1997 after Howard Mark's candidacies, and what has happened in 2001 since the General Election. Unfortunately there is still a huge element of disinterest and disillusionment with politicians and elections. 60% of the electorate in Ipswich did not bother to vote. Amongst those people, and amongst the many not even registered to vote, there are enough of our supporters to have actually WON the seat. I would personally like everyone reading this to understand this and pass the message on: your vote is one powerful way to get heard and this government, like all governments, see the non- voters as complacent and satisfied people, NOT as disillusioned people. Although every major party claims to want to increase the number of people who vote, in reality their aim is simply to increase the number of votes for their candidates - let's face it most of the major parties would be happy to see their candidate getting all the votes! If you don't vote then you don't count as far as the politicians are concerned and it is the politicians that we need to push to rid ourselves completely of cannabis prohibition. So PLEASE register and USE YOUR VOTE. If nothing else you can write "legalise cannabis" or some other comment or place a 'No Victim No Crime', or other sticker, on your ballot paper next May. NEW DOWNLOADS: Now available for download - print it yourself - at just £2 each from WebBooks: http://www.webbooks.org/Synopses/lca_mani.php "Cannabis: Legalise and Utilise" - the LCA Manifesto and Information Document and http://www.webbooks.org/Synopses/YouThe.php "You the Jury: Cannabis Law and Drug Testing". Keep up-to-date with events at http://www.ccguide.org.uk/events.html ** Collect endorsements for the LCA. ** Collect signatures for the on-line petition, now numbering over 5,000. see http://www.ethical-business.com/allpets.asp ** Help raise funds - without financial support we can do little. Just £1 a week from a large number of people would work wonders. ALL funds are spent on campaigning - we pay no wages! all the best Alun National Coordinator Legalise Cannabis Alliance PO Box 198 Norwich NR2 2DH
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