Source: The Herald, Worthing, UK

Pub date: Thursday, 29 May 2003

Subj: Mixed Messages On Soft Drugs Fuelling Cannabis Cafe Problem

PROTESTS over the town's ongoing problem with cannabis cafes were taken to Parliament last Thursday by East Worthing MP Tim Leighton.

Mr Leighton raised the issue with the Home Office minister, Bob Ainsworth, in an inter-departmental question time focussing on drugs.

He accused the government of sending out the wrong signals about the acceptability of cannabis and then not enabling the police to clamp down on the obvious illegal activity which was going on.

He said: "Under the guise of a community service offering so-called medicinal benefits, these cafes are becoming businesses, attracting all sorts of low-life and impressionable youngsters and making life hell for residents.

"The government's mixed messages on the acceptability of soft drugs is fuelling the problem in places like Worthing aand needs to be stopped."

"If illegal activity is going on, then the police need to act fast, yet all too often the police simply do not havev the resources to mount the sort of operation which is needed.

"The fact we still have fewer police officers in Sussex than we did six years ago obviously does not help."