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UK: 'I'm standing firm on cannabis cafe plan'

Gareth Hughes

The Daily Post (Wales)

Friday 27 Dec 2002

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THE man behind the controversial plan to open North Wales' first cannabis
cafe is adamant that the scheme will go ahead.

In the meantime the Crown Prosecution Service is considering whether to
drop the charges against him after his involvement in another similar cafe.

Jeffrey Ditchfield, from Henllan, near Denbigh, announced earlier this year
that he planned to open the Dutch-style cafe in Rhyl's West End. He went to
Amsterdam, where he was trained by millionaire Nol van Schaik, who runs
cannabis cafes.

It was originally hoped to have the Rhyl premises open by May but for
various reasons it has been delayed. The proposal caused a storm of protest
among councillors and politicians, and the Chief Constable of North Wales
Richard Brunstrom said that if the scheme went ahead Mr Ditchfield would be
arrested within five minutes of it opening.

Yesterday, Mr Ditchfield, who angered North Wales Police by buying a
website domain titled northwalespolice.com, said: "We are definitely going
ahead with the cafe, but there have been problems with the proposed
premises which came to light during a search. "We are currently looking for
differ-ent premises in the West End and have a few in mind." He was due to
appear at Manchester Crown Court last week on charges of possessing
cannabis and possessing the drug with intent to supply.

He was arrested earlier in the year at the cannabis cafe in Stockport,
which has been raided several times by the police.

But at a pre-trial hearing last week the CPS said they did not intend to
pursue the case, but asked for it to remain on the file. However, on Mr
Ditchfield's insistence, his barrister objected to the move.

"If the CPS feel I have broken the law then I should be prosecuted,
otherwise the charges should be dropped. They can't have it both ways," he
said.

CPS lawyers agreed to reconsider the matter before the next hearing.

 

 

 

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