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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Cannabis man takes fight to PM
Jonathon Dillon Accrington Observer?
Thursday 24 Oct 2002 Cannabis campaigner Frank Mac has hit back at claims that traders are worried about his Amsterdam-style coffee shop and said: "Most of them have signed our petition.' Speaking exclusively to the Observer this week, Mr Mac revealed that he has already collected around 1,000 signatures in support of his coffee shop in Warner Street and they are mounting by the day. And he vowed to take his fight to the top, saying: 'I'm not going to back down now. I want to present this petition to Tony Blair himself, not one of his staff. I want it to go straight to him.' He was responding to comments made by Inspector Phil Cottam during a meeting of Accrington Centre Regeneration Assembly last Thursday. Inspector Cottam said: 'Some of the traders are extremely concerned about the effect these premises will have on their businesses. It's one of those issues which is difficult to deal with. The police will do everything we can to deal with incidents that are detected. We will monitor it very closely.' However, Mr Mac, who opened the shop above the Studio One tattoo parlous he runs with wife Margaret, said: 'We have had no problems whatsoever. When people say they have seen people smoking outside that is because we operate a no smoking policy in the tattoo shop for health and hygiene reasons. People go upstairs if they want a joint because that's what the coffee shop is there for.' Two weeks ago police raided the premises and arrested one of his close friends and charged him with possession of cannabis. But Mr Mac denounced the police raid as a 'waste of time' and said: 'My friend was here because his dad had just died that morning and we were consoling him. He's a close friend of ours and we go back a long way.' His wife Margaret said: 'Smoking marijuana is an old pastime. At the moment nine per cent of the world trade is in drugs and 75 per cent of that is in marijuana. That's worth more than the car industry. It's a citizen's right to pursue happiness as long as he or she doesn't harm people or their property.' She said the couple had now submitted a planning application for the tattoo studio and coffee shop. She said: 'Our solicitor advised me to investigate getting planning permission and we applied immediately. The tattoo shop has been up and running for the past 12 months and we've had no trouble. The police have not been round. When we came here the street was dead and we've brought a bit of custom.' Brent Clarkson, principal planning officer for Hyndburn Council, confirmed a planning application has been received for a tattoo and body piercing shop with a coffee shop upstairs. He added: 'It's not illegal to change the use without planning permission. We have got to weight up whether it is acceptable in that area.' 'We have notified their immediate neighbours and put a site notice up so anyone can comment on it.' 'We will deal with it just like any other coffee shop. We can't consider any alleged offences which may or may not be going on there.'
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