Source: Concrete, UEA, UK

Pub Date: Wednesday 31 January 2001

ART: On a high? UEA to play host to cannabis conference

Author: Sarah Shubinsky

Contact: su.concrete@uea.ac.uk

Comment: Concrete is a student newspaper at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.

On a high? UEA to play host to cannabis conference

THE UNIVERSITy will play host to a political conference next month for a party which is fighting to legalise cannabis.

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) will hold its second annual conference at UEA on March 17, organised by Alun Buffry, the LCA candidate for the Norwich South parliamentary seat, writes Sarah Shubinsky.

The LCA is a political party for those who want to combat the cannabis law to stand for election.

Speakers at the meeting will include the former-head of the Scotland Yard drugs Squad, Eddie Ellison, and Oxford graduate turned drug smuggler, Howard Marks.

Mr Buffry, whose constituency includes the university hopes students will find the conference useful.

"It's not just a drugs issue. UEA is a good venue and my hope that is law students, for example, may find it interesting from an academic point of view," he said.

"Prohibition affects everyone, whether you smoke cannabis or not," added Mr Buffry.

And Union Welfare Officer Polly Morgan expressed her surprise at the university allowing such an event to take place, but claims it is positive.

"Whilst I can't condone the legalisation of cannabis, any movement that involves students in political or sociological debate has got to be a good thing," she said.

And Doug Hodgkinson (SOC 3) agrees - claiming it is what the university should be doing.

"The university should be getting involved as it is a very important issue," he said.