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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: First cannabis cafe owner jailed
Reuters
Thursday 03 Oct 2002 LONDON (Reuters) - The man behind Britain's first Dutch-style cannabis cafe has been jailed for three years for possessing and supplying the drug, court officials say. Pot pioneer Colin Davies, 44, a leading campaigner for the legalisation of cannabis who once presented the Queen with a bouquet of marijuana plants, opened the cafe in Stockport last September. Within minutes of the launch of the "The Dutch Experience", it was raided by police and Davies was arrested. On Thursday he was jailed at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on eight charges including perjury and possessing a class B drug with intent to supply while on bail for other drug-related offences. Davies, a founder of the Medical Marijuana Co-operative, a non-profit organisation that provides cannabis to people who suffer from multiple sclerosis and arthritis, said he had wanted to give sufferers of debilitating diseases a safe place to buy the drug. "The Dutch Experience", which makes no secret of its business, has been raided by police a number of times since last September but has remained open for business. In July, Home Secretary David Blunkett announced plans to ease laws governing cannabis users from next summer, downgrading the drug to low risk Class C. Although still illegal, the change would make discreet possession of small amounts of the drug or smoking it in private a non-arrestable offence. An ICM survey said five million people used cannabis regularly and even royalty has tried it. Prince Harry, second son of Prince Charles, made headlines this year when it was revealed he had smoked cannabis.
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