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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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April 2002
Alun Buffry LCA Progress Report
Tuesday 30 Apr 2002 IN APRIL 2002: We gained 59 new endorsees bringing the total to 1391. A double welcome to you 59. Hope to see your names on the on-line petitions. LCA PARTY CONFERENCE The Third Annual Party Conference was held in Norwich on 6 April and was a great success. Speeches can be listened to on-line at: http://www.ukcia.org/library/lcaconference2002.htm Dutch Experience cannabis cafes are now open and functioning in Stockport and Bournemouth despite the occasional raid by police. Cannabis cafes are being planned by LCA supporters in Carlisle, Dorchester, Edinburgh, Hull, Milton Keynes, Rhyl, Taunton, Witham, Worthing and York. They are just the ones that we have heard of but we are sure many other people are considering their own towns and cities as possible venues. On 24 April, the BBC2 Money Program featured James Ward and followed his preparations opening the second Dutch Experience cannabis cafe including the training course in Holland. The place was raided by police after the programme was broadcast. Meanwhile, the fiasco of selective prosecution is continuing in Stockport, where Lezley Gibson was recently told that she would not be prosecuted for using cannabis medicine after all. Others are still waiting to hear when the will be in court for trial. On 19t April, Don Barnard attended an all day forum organised by Braintree District Council Community Safety Group "Working towards a safer and healthier Braintree District" ================ New board game that's not so boring= DEALERS http://www.tokinjokers.co.uk NB: If you order the game through the site, mention that you are an LCA endorsees (if you are - if not, do it now) for a discount. ================ DISAPPOINTMENTS: Many thanks to those of you who have responded, but.... The response to requests for financial assistance to enable the LCA to continue to push for legalisation in an active way. Just 50 pence per week from each person who reads this and is not already contributing, will work wonders! The response to requests for signatures on the FREE COLIN DAVIES petition was disappointing see http://www.ethical-business.com/petitions.asp?pet_id=244 and the DENOUNCE THE UN SINGLE CONVENTION was upsetting petition was disappointing see http://www.ethical-business.com/petitions.asp?pet_id=201 Neither petition has generated over 500 signatures at time of posting this message, despite the number of people asked. This lack of interest, according to more than one campaigner, may actually have a negative impact on the causes. If you think the petition(s) should be withdrawn, please let me know. If you have not yet signed, please do so now by clicking on the links. Please also ask your friends, spouses and colleagues to give you permission to sign for them too. PRESS: (places after a person's name indicate constituency where he / she stood in the General Election 2001) Don Barnard, Press Officer, did the following interviews during April: 3 April: The Independent re LCA Conference 3 April: The Observer, Anthony Brown, re LCA Conference 3 April: Evening Standard, re Tim Summers and Cannabis cafes 5 April: BBC Radio Essex, live, about LCA Conference 5 April: Dream FM NEWS live, about cannabis cafes 6 April: Radio London Drive Time live. 6 April: Daily Sport, at LCA Conference, produced article April 8th 6 April: Anglia Press Agency at LCA Conference, articles in Evening News and EDP on April 8. 6 April: Anglia TV News, broadcast on day 6 April: BBC Look East, broadcast on day 8 April: Essex News Agency on cannabis cafes and LCA Conference 8 April: Dream FM Drive Time news about LCA Conference, broadcast on 9 April 10 April: East London and Essex Courier about LCA Conference 10 April: ITV researcher re taking MP's to Holland. 27 April: Radio London morning show on drug testing. 29 April: News Statesman Alun Buffry, National Coordinator, did the following interviews during April: 2 April: Anglia Press Agency re cannabis cafes, home grown and fuel. 2 April: The Guardian re cannabis cafes 3 April: Evening Standard re Tim Summers and cannabis cafes 6 April: Anglia TV News 6 April: BBC Radio Broadland FM re home grown. 6 April: Daily Sport at LCA Conference 6 April: Anglian Press Agency at LCA Conference 6 April: Amber Radio 9 April: Evening News, Norwich 10 April: BBC Leeds 22 April: Channel 4 Breakfast TV Carl Wagner, LCA candidate Hull North 2002, hit the headlines on 30 April with his announcement of a plan to open a cannabis cafe there. He did interviews with The Hull Daily Mail and BBC Humber (see below), The Guardian, BBC Look North and Calender, and on 1 May with BBC Radio Cambridge. ================ PUBLISHED LETTERS AND PRESS ARTICLES 2 April: Mark (Penrith & the Border) and Lezley Gibson featured in News & Star, Carlisle, in an article about a possible cannabis cafe : "Cumbria Cannabis Cafe is Inevitable". This also mentioned Colin Davis and Nol van Shaik. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02.n645.a08.html 2 April: Alun Buffry (Norwich South) had comments printed in BUPA's magazine, in an article "Cannabis causes memory loss": http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/health_news/060302cannabis.html 2 April: Sam Day reveals her plans to open a cannabis cafe in Dorchester in the Dorset Echo: "Amsterdam-style Cannabis Venture Planned": http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/de020402.htm 3 April: Don Barnard had a letter published in the Essex Evening Gazette: "Cafe debate highlights rights issues.": http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/eg030402.htm 3 April: Chris Philbin had a letter printed in the Essex Evening Gazette: "Cannabis cafe plan remains on the table" http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/eg3402.htm 5 April: Carl Wagner (Hull North) had a letter published in the Hull Daily Mail: "Cannabis users have no victims" http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/hdm5402.htm 8 April: Don Barnard, Press Officer, had an almost full page article with large smiling photograph, in the Daily Sport, along with a quote from Alun Buffry: "We salute our brave Daily Sport": http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/sport8402.htm 8 April: Alun Buffry had a letter printed in the Evening News, Norwich asking for Green Party, Lib Dem Party and other election candidates to let us know their views on the prospects of cannabis cafes in Norwich: http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/en080402.htm 8 April: Don Barnard was quoted in the Eastern Daily Press brief article on the LCA Conference: "Cannabis 'can boost farming'": http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/edp80402.html 8 April: Brief article in the Norwich Evening News on LCA Conference: "Market for Cannabis" http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/en80402.htm 9 April: Phil Lockwood (Calder Valley 2001) reported on the LCA Conference in the Halifax Courier: "Conference talk by drug activist": http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/hc090402.htm 10 April: Chris Baldwin (Worthing East & Shoreham) was quoted in an article in The Scotsman: "Cannabis Entrepreneurs Go Dutch": http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02.n700.a04.html 12 April: Chris Baldwin's story of his plans to open a cannabis cafe in Worthing was published in the Worthing Herald: "Cannabis Cafe Champion" http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/wt120402.htm 15 April: Don Barnard was quoted in York Evening press in an article about possibility of a cannabis cafe in York: http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/yp150402.htm 16 April: Don Barnard had a letter published in the Essex Evening Gazette, continuing the cannabis cafe debate: "Listen to the minority too" http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/eg160402.htm 17 April: Lezley Gibson of Cumbria had charges against her dropped after her arrest at Dutch Experience in Stockport, reported in the News & Star, Carlisle: "No prosecution after cannabis cafe arrest" http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/ns170402.htm 17 April: Carl Wagner (Hull North) had a letter published in the Hull Daily Mail about cannabis and a mentally ill person: http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/hm170402.htm 20 April: Don Barnard, Press Officer, commented on article about man arrested for growing cannabis to ease pain of rheumatoid arthritis, Lincolnshire Echo: http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/le200402.htm 20 April: The Eastern Daily Press published a letter from the National Drugs Prevention Alliance (NDPA) criticising the LCA for wanting large scale cultivation of cannabis in East Anglia: "New Harvest of Misery" http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/edp24402.htm 25 April: Don Barnard's article on Drug Testing: "a whole new meaning to the adage "MY BOSS IS TAKING THE P..S"" published on web at: http://www.dopebritannia.com/features.php?sel_article_id=219 30 April: The Eastern Daily Press printed Alun Buffry's reply to NDPA letter published on 20th: "Cannabis Is Unlike Tobacco": http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/edp300402.htm 30 April: The Hull Daily Mail published an article about Carl Wagner's Hull North) plans to open a cannabis cafe in the city. "Cannabis Cafe Bid For City Centre": http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/hdm300402.htm 30 April: Carl Wagner was on BBC look North and Calender News. 30 April: BBCi Humber, Broadcast Journalist also ran an article on Carl Wagner's plans: "Hull's marijuana missionary": http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/bbchi30402.htm 1 May: Carl Wagner was on BBC Radio Cambridge. Letter and articles published prior to 1 April 2002 can be found at http://www.buffry.connectfree.co.uk/lcapress.htm ================ FORTHCOMING EVENTS THURSDAY 2 MAY Local elections: LCA candidate Colin Paisley contests Carlisle ward. How will the change in Lib Dems policy on cannabis effect their vote. If you cannot decide how to vote, or even if you can, why not state your opinion by writing LEGALISE CANNABIS on your ballot paper? That is far better than not voting at all. SATURDAY 4 MAY 2002: CANNABIS MARCH AND FESTIVAL London Cannabis March and Festival, Sat 4th May 2002. Contact: Cannabis Coalition (London), PO Box 2243, London, W1A 1YF. Tel: 0207 837 2720. email: may4th@cannabiscoalition.org http://www.cannabiscoalition.org SATURDAY 4 MAY: TRADE FAIR, MARKET SQUARE, NOTTINGHAM - LCA speaker. 0115 9702 791 SUNDAY 5 MAY: MARCH AND PICNIC, HULL contact CarlWagner@lca-uk.org MONDAY 6 MAY: Legalise Cannabis Campaign Scotland stall, The Mound, Princes St, Edinburgh, 1-3pm SATURDAY 11 MAY: Alston Town Hall: "Mostly Autumn" http://www.mostlyautumn.com check their website truly awesome sound and vision. Professional Prog Rock Band "Elsie Haye Promos" Tickets £6:00 inc P&P checks payable to:- LCA NORTHERN:HARVEST HOME:ALSTON:CA9 3QH B&B from £16:00 to £22:00 in Alston the "highest" market town in England sitting in the North Pennines an area of outstanding natural beauty! What a night! ================ Please read through this message and keep if, as it contains important information on how you can help or become more actively involved in the campaign to legalise cannabis. ================ **** INTERNET ACCESS: NOW AVAILABLE - LCA-ONLINE.NET an Internet Service Provider that help support the LCA financially Now you can help the campaign every time you dial on to the Internet, either pay-as-you-go or unlimited access for just £14.99 per month - including e-mail addresses, web space and sub-domain registration. http://www.lca-online.net By using either dial-up access you will be contributing to the funding of future campaign activities and administration. ================== **** ACTION FOR YOU TO DO NOW **** Please sign the on-line "Legalise Cannabis Now!" petition to the UK Home Office. http://www.ethical-business.com/petitions.asp?pet_id=34 By printing out the petition text you can collect names and addresses that you can add on-line later. PLEASE ONLY SIGN ONCE **** You may also like to add your name to the "Denounce the UN Single Convention on Drugs" petition now at http://www.ethical-business.com/petitions.asp?pet_id=201 **** and sign the ANGEL DECLARATION http://www.angeldeclaration.com and: **** Vote in our poll - how do you want to see it legalised? http://www.ccguide.org.uk/poll.html **** Write to your MP by snail mail or e-mail. There is a new SAMPLE letter at http://www.ccguide.org.uk/strawlet.html and hints on letter-writing at http://www.ccguide.org.uk/letters.html Please remember to send us a copy of any reply you get so it can be added to the page at http://www.ccguide.org.uk/yourmp.html **** Visit and Bookmark our events page http://www.ccguide.org.uk/events.html **** Buy your cannabis / hemp / drugs and other books on line through WebBooks and help generate funds. http://www.paston.co.uk/users/webbooks/webhome.html **** Distribute fliers in your area - target them to help gain active support and votes. **** Let us know if you are prepared to speak to the press or do interviews in your area with TV or radio. **** By sending £5.00 you will enable us to send a copy of our Manifesto to two more MP's. **** No Victim No Crime stickers are available for £5.50 per hundred (includes postage) - they are bright yellow with green leaf and green wording and 2.5 inches diameter and once placed are hard to remove, so use them wisely! **** Keep up-to-date with events at http://www.ccguide.org.uk/events.html **** Keep up-to-date with LCA News at http://www.lca-uk.org **** Keep up-to-date with world news at http://www.ccguide.org.uk/newspage.html **** HELP collect endorsements for the LCA. See http://www.lca-uk.org **** HELP collect signatures for the on-line petitions. See http://www.ccguide.org.uk/petitions.html **** HELP raise funds - without financial support we can do little. Just £1 a week from a large number of people would work wonders. ==================== **** LCA E-MAIL LISTS ===> LCA ENDORSEES LIST FOR RARE ANNOUNCEMENTS - (one way only) As an endorsee of the Principles, Aims and Proposals of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, you have been subscribed to the LCA "endorseelist" for special announcements that we hope will be of interest to you. These include campaign action, events and or information. You will also be sent monthly LCA News Bulletins through www.ccguide.org.uk. This list is NOT a news list nor a chat list. If you do NOT wish to be on this list, please send an e-mail with no subject and no text to endorseelist-unsubscribe@lca-uk.org or email me at endorseelist@ccguide.lca-online.net LCA CHAT LIST FOR ACTIVISTS If you would like to subscribe to and participate in a chat list for LCA endorsees. send a BLANK e-mail to chatlist-subscribe@lca-uk.org from the e-mail address you wish to use. The LCA "chatlist" will operate much like other chat lists. Members of the list send a message to the list and it is forwarded to everybody else who may then reply to the list. List members have already endorsed LCA principles, Aims and Proposals, so there need be no arguments over that, but some may interpret or extrapolate polices differently or find they wish to discuss broader issues, or policy issues in more detail. This will also present us with a valuable opportunity to discuss campaigning tactics and work together as a large group, nationally and internationally. There are endorsees who are on other chat lists and who may forward messages from one list to another. The list is NOT meant for lurkers, but if you feel you would like to participate, please join by sending an e-mail as explained above. You will be able to subscribe and unsubscribe at will. The volume of mail that you receive will be determined by the number of people who subscribe and how many messages they wish to send. Time-wasters, abusers, blatant advertisers, and non-endorsees will be thrown off the list! NB: When you are on the list, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OTHER MEMBERS LCA LETTER-WRITERS LIST The LCA run a letters list "lca-letters" for supporters who promise to write at least one letter a week in response to articles and published letters posted to the list - up to 6 items a week. If you are interested in participating in this, please mail lca@lca-uk.org and ask how to subscribe. LCA WORLD LIST FOR EVERYONE The LCA "worldlist" has also established a world-wide chat list for cannabis campaigners, not all of whom necessarily support the Principles, Aims and Proposals of the LCA. If you would like to PARTICIPATE in this list, send an e-mail to worldlist-subscribe@lca-uk.org You will receive details of how to send messages, subscribe and unsubscribe. NB: When you are on the list, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OTHER MEMBERS CCGUIDE NEWS LIST (http://www.ccguide.,org.uk) FOR NEW BULLETINS (one way only) The "ccguide-news" list exists to spread news of events and discoveries, encourage participation in one or more aspects of our campaign, encourage people to respond to letters and articles printed in the press, and attract support for our activities both on and off line. In order to subscribe to this list send an email to sub.ccguidenews@ccguide.lca-online.net You will receive between about 10 e-mails a week. The list is manually operated, so if you wish to be removed at any time, just mail me and ask. You can also follow world news about cannabis at http://www.ccguide.org.uk/newspage.html LCA CANDIDATES LIST If you are definitely planning to stand as an LCA candidate, the "candlist" is the place for you to communicate with past and other future candidates. To request subscription mail me at lca@lca-uk.org ================= **** SUPPORT AND ESSENTIAL DONATIONS As you probably know, the LCA is registered as a political party in the UK. We seek the support of voters (and prospective voters) and offer an umbrella political voice for those who wish to see the legalisation of cannabis. The LCA has range of policies on cannabis issues that effect many aspects of society and our lives: health, the environment, fuel and pollution, education, drugs, law and order, human rights, agriculture, trade, employment and foreign affairs. We are a single issue party but what a broad issue that is! We cannot operate without funding, that's obvious. But many people may think we have plenty. We don't! We DO NOT get support from many people who profit out of the illegal status of cannabis and nothing from pop stars and celebrities who have become rich on the cannabis culture. The largest single donation we have ever received for the LCA is £500. Our annual turnover is less than £5000. A regular donation of just 50 pence per week would make a huge difference to what we can do. That can conveniently be done at £2 per month by standing order through your bankers - form available on request - by sending postal orders or second class stamps) Other political parties may get huge donations of money, we don't. We are running the party on a shoestring budget, having to ask candidates to raise their own funds - at least a thousand pounds per candidate. So we rely on many smaller donations and hope that endorsees will ask their friends. Basically, unless we get money coming in we cannot even get the message out that we exist. Past experience shows that we cannot rely on the press to help. Without pretence we admit that the party is run by volunteers in their own houses - people who have to pay their own phone bills for LCA business. We often struggle when it comes to news-letter distributions, attending conferences and printing fliers. A small and regular donation - less per week than what many people put in a single joint, less than ten cigarettes, less than half a pint of beer!) - WILL make a huge difference. In this way YOUR SUPPORT is ESSENTIAL for without you the party will collapse. On the other hand, if you know anyone "rich" enough to give larger amounts, every £1000 will enable another candidate to stand! Donations should be sent by PO or cheque payable to "LCA", posted to LCA, PO Box 198, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 2DH You can also donate by standing order mandate through your bank - ask us for a form if you do not have one. ================ PUBLICATIONS: OUR MANIFESTO ===> The LCA publishes a 60-page manifesto: "CANNABIS, LEGALISE AND UTILISE: A MANIFESTO AND INFORMATION DOCUMENT", ISBN 09535693 1 4 You can read some selected sections at http://www.lca-uk.org. You can order your copy direct through LCA, through all good bookshops, or through WebBooks on-line bookstore by clicking here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0953569314/webbooks05 It is now also available for download - print it yourself - at just £2 each from WebBooks: http://www.webbooks.org/Synopses/lca_mani.php "Cannabis: Legalise and Utilise: A Manifesto and Information Document" Also: http://www.webbooks.org/Synopses/YouThe.php "You the Jury: Cannabis Law and Drug Testing". Or if you prefer a hard copy, send a cheque or postal order for £5.00 for each payable to "LCA", to LCA, PO Box 198, Norwich, NR2 2DH **** VOTING AND STANDING FOR ELECTION ===> If you are not already registered to vote and are eligible please get in touch with the Elections Officer at your local authority offices. Voters will be able to add their voice to many others at the next County Council, Local and General Elections. If you are not registered to vote you cannot make changes. If you are interesting in standing as an LCA candidate or as an Independent or candidate for another party, and wish to priorities the legalisation of cannabis in your election campaign, you may wish to seek our support. Mail: lca@lca-uk.org For some information on standing, see http://www.ccguide.org.uk/howstand.html respect Alun Buffry National Coordinator Legalise Cannabis Alliance
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