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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Drugs off the menu
Liverpool Echo
Thursday 22 Aug 2002 PLANS to open a cannabis cafe in Liverpool have been blocked. Businessman Gary Youds had applied to convert a former taxi office into a "private members club" for marijuana smokers. But the city council's planning committee rejected the proposals. Mr Youds, who wanted to open the cafe behind Holt Road, Kensington, said: "I am a local businessman who has already made a lot of investment in the Kensington area. "I have recently been to Amsterdam to see the cannabis cafes there and I firmly believe this could be the answer in this country if it is just given a chance. "The drugs policy in this country is not working and what I am proposing is a place where people can go to to smoke their own. "It would then be up to me to try to educate people." Mr Youds said he did not want to sell drugs from the cafe, but just allow people to smoke cannabis. Possession of cannabis is still illegal in Britain, but there are plans to reduce its classification from a Class B drug to Class C. However, Chief Inspector David Labdon, of Merseyside police, said cannabis cafes would not be tolerated. He said: "Merseyside police does not and will not tolerate the establishment or existence of cannabis cafes within the county and officers will positively enforce the law. "Anyone who attempts to open a cannabis cafe will face the risk of heavy imprisonment or a heavy fine, and in some cases both. "Supply of cannabis is an offence, and even though the government has issued a number of proposals which include the reclassification of cannabis, supply of the drug will remain an offence with serious penalties. It is also an offence for managers of any premises to allow the smoking, or supply, of cannabis there." Kensington councillor Richard Marbrow said the area should not be used to experiment with Britain's drugs laws, adding: "This is absolutely unbelievable. "Regardless of Mr Youds's views on the drugs laws as they stand, Kensington is not the place for an experiment of this type. "There are already a number of social problems in the area and there is a regeneration project under way. "There are also a huge number of children in the area and the premises Mr Youds would like to use are close to two schools."
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