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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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PRESS RELEASE: NO EMBARGO Legalise Cannabis Alliance Press Release Thursday 22 Mar 2001 PO Box 198 Norwich NR2 2DH Phone 01603 442215 Email lca@lca-uk.org A registered UK political party PRESS RELEASE: NO EMBARGO 22 March, 2001 "Editor of the Guardian smoked pot" says Caroline Coon at the Legalise Cannabis Alliance Conference. Caroline Coon, one of the founders of the drugs legal help charity Release in the 1960's, invited the Editor of the Guardian to sue her for libel if he wishes as she announced to over 100 delegates that he "smoked pot." The second annual Legalise Cannabis Alliance conference was held at the University of East Anglia on 17 March 2001 and attracted delegates from all over the country. Speakers included former head of Scotland Yard's Crime Policy Unit of special Operations and drug squad officer, ex Detective Chief Superintendent Eddie Ellison, former cannabis smuggler and author, Howard Marks, Roger Warren-Evans, a retired human rights barrister, Caroline Coon and several prospective parliamentary candidates for the LCA. Caroline Coon made the revelation during an impassioned and dynamic speech to the conference. She said: "The Editor of the Guardian - and he can sue me for libel if he wants - smoked pot. The Editor of the Sun, and he can sue me for slander if he wants, smokes or has smoked pot." Alun Buffry, a spokesman for the Alliance and prospective candidate for Norwich South, said: "Caroline thinks that more famous people should declare their use or cannabis or be 'outed'. I am not in favour of outing people myself, although I do believe that if everyone who had tried or still uses cannabis admitted it, we would get an entirely different view of the situation. Millions smoke or eat cannabis, whether medicinally or recreationally, from all walks of life, probably including newspaper editors as well as popular teen bands. I am totally opposed to punishing any of them, unless of course they harm someone else. But I do feel it is hypocritical for the rich and famous, including MP's, to stand by and watch people being punished for a so-called crime that they themselves committed - a crime without a victim." The LCA became a political party in 1999 and plans to field up to 100 candidates in the general election in 2001, if the necessary deposits can be found. Notes for Editor: Legalise Cannabis Alliance web site: http://www.lca-uk.org Legalise Cannabis Alliance, PO Box 198, Norwich, NR3 3TG Telephone: (01603) 442215 CD's with the speeches from the conference may be obtained by e-mailing lca@lca-uk.org. Caroline Coons speech maybe downloaded from http://www.ukcia.org/mp3s/CarolineCoon.mp3 (Or listened to from a webbrowser by selecting "Open file from current location" after putting the link in the address bar) Speakers at the Conference were not members of the LCA. The LCA does not run a membership.
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