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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: New cannabis cafe bid
Michael Howie The Scotsman
Saturday 08 Jun 2002 A SECOND man today unveiled plans to open a cannabis cafe in the Capital. IT consultant Alasdair Tennent, who claims to have set up Scotland?s first incorporated cannabis company, is searching for potential premises for his venture. The 41-year-old, who lives in Morningside, hopes to have the cafe up and running within the next 12 months. The move follows plans revealed last year by publisher Kevin Williamson to open a similar venture in central Edinburgh. Mr Tennent said he had identified Broughton, Marchmont and Tollcross as potentially suitable areas for the cafe. The outlet would initially sell food, drink and cannabis seeds, while tolerating the smoking of the drug by its customers, before starting to sell cannabis over the counter. The IT consultant got the inspiration for opening a cannabis cafe after spending a month in Amsterdam during the Euro 2000 football championship. But police and councillors warned that such a move would be breaking the law and would not be tolerated. Mr Tennent, who is working with the support of his wife Andrea, said he had drawn up plans for a coffee shop and a cannabis seed shop, as well as a cannabis smokers? website. He said he was hoping Edinburgh would have a "cannabis-friendly" zone in time for the opening of the cafe, similar to that which exists in the Dutch city, but added that he was prepared to press ahead with his plans regardless. "Initially I?m planning to open it as a cafe, and if people smoke and we don?t notice, then so be it. "But I fully intend to go on from that and openly vend cannabis," he said. He has already set up a company - Auld Reekie Ltd - and aims to open the cafe this year if he can secure a lease on suitable premises. He added: "The inspiration for doing this came from when I went across to Amsterdam for Euro 2000. I spent a very relaxing time there. It?s a place where you can get quietly stoned in civilised surroundings. It would be good to have that here. I think it will be highly profitable as a fully fledged cannabis cafe. There?s definitely a market for it." The 41-year-old said he realised that he risks being jailed by putting his plans into action. "Obviously I would rather I didn?t, but I accept there?s a risk," he added. Lothian and Borders Police warned that the law would be enforced in the city. A spokesman said: "It?s against the law to possess or sell cannabis and anyone doing so will be reported to the procurator fiscal." Police board member Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, who represents Marchmont, said she would not support the project as the law stood at the moment. But she said it highlighted the need for a mature debate on the subject and called for a wider debate on the legalisation of cannabis. "The position at the moment is that it is illegal to sell cannabis and the police would act against anyone who does that," she said. "Unless the law changes, he cannot do it, otherwise he will end up being heavily fined and possibly jailed. I?m not going to condone anyone breaking the law." Home Secretary David Blunkett has proposed that cannabis be reclassified from a class B drug to a class C drug. That idea has been backed by the powerful Home Affairs select committee, following a ten-month inquiry into drugs policy, published two weeks ago. Reclassification would mean police losing the power to arrest people for possession of cannabis, leaving law enforcers free to concentrate on more harmful drugs. It is expected the Home Secretary will press ahead with plans for the change before the Parliamentary recess next month.
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