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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: I did have cannabis, admits Euro MP
Manchester Online
Monday 28 Oct 2002 The 50-year-old married father-of-two admitted at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court today (Monday) that he had 900mgs of cannabis stuck to a postage stamp when he carried out a protest against drug laws at Stockport Police Station last December. Fellow Euro MP, the Italian Marco Cappato, 31, also pleaded guilty to cannabis possession following an incident five days after Mr Davies' protest. The court heard that the two Euro MPs were trying to highlight the flawed nature of Britain's drug laws. Both men looked on as Alan Wolstenholme told the court that Mr Davies had addressed a crowd of about 25 outside Stockport police station on December 15. He had been talking about the need to reform the country's drug laws and had said he was making a point in relation to his constituent, Colin Davies, who had been prosecuted for running a Dutch-style cannabis cafe in Stockport. Mr Davies, the Liberal Democrat MEP for Stockport, was arrested and taken inside Stockport police station when he produced the cannabis. He told officers it was for his personal use, but was not prepared to say where he had obtained it. The court heard that the Stockport MEP, a former councillor in Liverpool and Oldham, had also been an MP. While an MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth between 1995 and 1997, he had sat on the House of Commons Drugs Misuse Group and had become aware of the medicinal benefits of cannabis. The prosecution heard that Cappato had approached a police constable in Stockport on December 20 and produced 280mgs of cannabis from his coat pocket. When arrested he said: "I know it's a crime and I ask to be punished for this crime. I would like to denounce this kind of law." Suzanne Goddard, defending Davies, said: "This is a rare case indeed of a man who has never used cannabis and had no intention of doing so. "He has deeply-held views and he had even written to the police beforehand to tell them of his intentions.
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