Dad takes his pipe dream to the Home Secretary

Source: Surrey Mirror
Date: March 9 2006

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Dad takes his pipe dream to the Home Secretary

Imagine the smell of cannabis wafting legally from a bustling cafe, across Horley town centre noses. This a dream of one campaigner from the town, who this week lobbied the Government to legalise the class C drug.

Winston Matthews, a member of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance(LCA), was joined by other members of the group in meeting Home Secretary Charles Clarke on Tuesday.

An ambitious town centre regeneration plans are being drawn up, the 49-year-old father of three from Upfield Close said he would like nothing more than to open a cannabis cafe, in the town.

"Next to Collingwood Batchellor would be nice. ,"It's a pipe dream."

Mr Matthews met Mr Clarke to discuss the legalisation of cannabis - a long held ambition of his and the other members of the alliance, which includes a number of groups with the same aim.

Speaking ahead of the meeting: :"To finally get the opportunity to speak to Mr Clarke about the laws regarding cannabis is fantastic. We've been corresponding with the Government since we formed seven years ago.

"Although Mr Clarke has twice refused to attend our annual conference, this at least shows his willingness to listen to us. I just hope he listens to what we are going to say.

"The LCA represents a huge amount of UK citizens who use for medical or recreational purposes - it's time these people no longer fear facing the court for using a substance less harmful than nicotine and alcohol."

This is not Mr Mathews' first engagement with politics, after standing against Peter Ainsworth at the last general election where he gained 410 votes.

Despite claiming to not be a political animal, last year on November 5 he smoked a pipe-like devise for inhaling- outside Parliament to mark "Bongfire Day".

"I don't think I even got in the papers for that," he said, "I've done it many times to be honest."

As political stunts go, however this next one takes some beating.

Mr Matthews has been a member of the LCA for about two years and argues that cannabis provides relief for him after two painful spinal operations.

He was left in constant pain after breaking a vertebra in his back at the age of 16, after a fall whilst working in a timber yard in Balcombe Road.

A former construction worker and crane driver, Mr Matthews is no longer able to work because of his injuries.

And he says there could be other social benefits from legalising cannabis, because the Government could tax it like alcohol and nicotine.

He said: "Why should we give money to gangsters when our own infrastructure, schools and hospital could do with this money? My personal view is legalise everything.

Then recreational drugs can be controlled and wouldn't have the contaminants. What are we procrastinating about?

"We should judge it on harm done to the individuals rather than the economic benefits - nicotine, alcohol and caffeine are all far more dangerous.

People attack each other when they binge drink and act like idiots. That doesn't happen with cannabis."

"I don't take caffeine and I haven't drunk alcohol for four years. I really don't like it. I've got quite puritanical."

What does he think of the recent studies, given much exposure in the press, linking cannabis with mental illness?

"There's a possible causal link, but psychosis can be started by anything," he said.

Originally from Sheffield, Mr Matthews moved to Horley when he was a teenager because his father, a construction worker, came to work on the M23 and M25 motorways.

An East Surrey programming student, Mr Matthews has three sons: Paul 27, Linton, 21 and 19-year-old William.

He said: "My sons initially thought their old man was a bit of eccentric, but they have come round to my side now."

The LCA's annual conference is being held on March 18 at Norwich University of East Anglia.

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