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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Cannabis Group Promises Controversial Cafe Opening
Leigh Arnold, Political Reporter Scottish Press Association
Tuesday 27 Jan 2004 Campaigners today promised to break the law by opening a cannabis cafe in Scotland when the drug is reclassified later this week. The Scottish Cannabis Coffeeshop Movement (SCCM) said people would be allowed to use the drug in the Purple Haze Cafe in Leith when it is downgraded on Thursday. The reclassification of the drug from Class B to Class C means police in England and Wales will rarely make arrests for possession of small amounts of the drug. But deputy justice minister Hugh Henry said there would be no change in practice in Scotland and anyone possessing cannabis could still face prosecution. Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) drugs spokesman Kevin Williamson said Mr Henry's comments had left the law looking 'mangled'. He said: 'It's one of these laws that's dishonest and hypocritical and like every dishonest and hypocritical law it has to be challenged. He added: 'We want to build a network of cannabis tolerant zones across Scotland beginning with the Purple Haze Cafe and expanding it across the whole of Scotland with the objective of calling on the Scottish Executive, the police forces and the local authorities to create Scottish-wide cannabis tolerant zones until our parliament has the powers to change the law. He said the campaign also wanted to turn the tolerance zones into 'cannabis information centres' and monitor arrests for personal possession of cannabis in Scotland. Mr Williamson said 500,000 peopled used cannabis in Scotland as he launched the SCCM during a press conference inside the Scottish Parliament. Purple Haze owner Paul Stewart said people would have to bring their own cannabis to the cafe because the drug would not be on sale. He said the cafe would be 'tobacco free' but anyone wishing to take cannabis could use a vaporiser machine which eliminates 99% of the carcinogenic substances in the drug. Holding up a vaporiser, he said: 'If people do decide to use cannabis they will be given these to use. SSP MSP Frances Curran said she had not smoked cannabis but her party fully supported the cafe and wanted to see cannabis legalised. She said: 'We are opposed to criminalising a layer of young people and although we might not be partaking ourselves, we are definitely in favour of it being licensed and young people being able to smoke it if they decide to. She added: 'It's going to come. Why wait another five years? Why not legalise cannabis now and stop another 100,000 young people going through the criminal justice system. It's an absolute nonsense and it would save a fortune in the courts.
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