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| Got a Light, Officer? |
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Posted by FoM on July 03, 2001 at 06:35:14 PT The Guardian Source: Guardian Unlimited 
There is no room for smack and crack in Brixton. It says so on a banner hung loosely above the entrance to Lambeth Town Hall. But on this particular posting, that is as far as the specifics go. Which is one of the reasons I find myself sitting on the building's steps, smoking a joint, to the apparent bother of nobody at all. It is the first week of new police plans to issue no more than a warning to those caught in possession of cannabis in the London borough of Lambeth, and locals appear disarmingly unfazed by their unique new regulation. When asked, visitors to the town hall proffer a light and pass through the haze that surrounds me without a second glance. Only when a good half an hour has gone by do I get some words of encouragement from a passerby. "You're doing well," says a kindly, gold-toothed man - though, nervously, he declines my offer for him to join in. Having selflessly put myself forward as a guinea pig in this David Blunkett-approved "experiment", I can confirm there is little evidence that these south Londoners see my blatancy as much of a departure from the norm. It is business as usual down the market where, spliff in hand, I buy a pound of cherries from a local fruit stall. At a nearby cafe, I polish off a fruit juice and the rest of my reefer without incident (though later, when I settle the bill, I ask the manager whether he is happy to have dope-smokers on the premises and he gives me a decisive "no"). I can also confirm that the Prince of Wales pub is less than welcoming to the odd marijuana-fan, having asked a barman whether it's OK for me to skin-up on site. "No way," he says, disgusted, before walking away with a disapproving shake of the head. Outside the pub, the driver of a police car stuck in traffic eyes me suspiciously. When I look straight at her I'm sure she spies the substance, but I take it from her bullet-proof vest that she has more pressing things to attend to. As the day wears on I join other dope-smokers on the grass outside the Ritzy cinema. A 61-year-old pensioner, who'd like to be known as Mr Blair, explains that he smokes marijuana because he doesn't drink alcohol - bypassing an explanation for the near-empty bottle of Heineken in his left hand. "I'm a tax-payer, so I'm allowed," he reasons. A woman pushing a pram tells me: "Never mind about the weed - you need to be doing something about Lambeth housing instead." Then suddenly, a man in a stripy shirt and bandanna is making an unsteady bee line for me from across the park. "Is that ganga?" he asks. "Yes," I say, "do you want some?" "I do," he beams, "and do you know why? It's because I believe it is not a crime." This is the first of many explanations that Principal, a song-writer and poet ("although I don't show it"), gives for why it's OK for me and him to be sharing this weed on Brixton high road. "Did you know you can eat too much, and you can drink too much but you can't smoke too much," he drools, before quickly disproving his own point with an impressive level of incoherence. "I'm glad I've met you because now I know at least somebody understands me. What's wrong with having a spliff?" When I get up to leave he asks where I'm going. "To the police station with the gear," I say. "Heavy," he replies, "good luck." As of this week, though, luck is not essential if you want to smoke cannabis outside Brixton police station. I know because I've done it. There were twitching blinds as a number of the inhabitants clocked me from the inside - but none of them rose to the bait. Instead I had to hunt down a pedestrian police officer to practise my flagrancy on. And for the record I can confirm that the Brixton bobbies - though consistently courteous when asked - are not at all forthcoming with a light. Note: For the next six months, anyone caught with cannabis in Lambeth will be given no more than a stiff telling off. Armed with two joints, Merope Mills headed down to south London yesterday to put this lenient new policy to the test. Source: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK) Related Articles: Special Report: Drugs in Britain Weed Cheaper Than Ale and Almost Legal Yard Relaxes Approach To Cannabis Offences CannabisNews Articles - UK Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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Comment #13 posted by angie on July 08, 2001 at 11:35:14 PT:
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| This artical is so true. My friends and i often walk around Belfast smoking. No one as ever battered an eyelid and i will be very suprised if anyone did. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #12 posted by FoM on July 04, 2001 at 08:39:30 PT |
| I have this articles as a link in the above article and it was published in the Chicago Tribune. At least one US Paper so far. I'll keep my eyes open for more. Weed Cheaper Than Ale and Almost Legal [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #11 posted by Jose Melendez on July 04, 2001 at 08:06:56 PT:
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| Is there any coverage of this story anywhere in the US media? I found nothing in Reuters, or the drudgereport... [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by dddd on July 03, 2001 at 18:13:55 PT |
| ....I am going to join my good friend FreedomFighter this 4th 0f July,and make it a day of remembrance for all those who are under uncle sams lock and key unjustly....Think how they feel on Independence day.Think about them and the glitter of the fireworks becomes rather dim.When I think of the sham election we had,it takes alot of the fizzle out of this patriot.....Think about it,,are we actually going to celebrate freedom and independence this 4th of July?Are we supposed to get all teary eyed,as we ooh and ahh at millions of dollars worth of pyrotechnics?,,,(most of which,I might add,are donated by the benevolent corporations that now own the keys to the 'land of the free'). ...I think the noise of the fireworks serves a different purpose nowdays.Perhaps it is just to drown out the thumping of decayed flesh against wood coming from underground,as our founding fathers roll over in their graves?.........glory glory whatsit to ya............. It just seems to me we are going through the motions of celebrating something we are losing,or have lost,and it really doesnt make much sense this year...Of course there are many who will say things are just fine,,,and if you dont like it,move to another country you unpatriotic flaky Hippie pothead whiner!,,,,,,my reply to them,is to remind them that we already did that,,that's why we are here today,,and a true patriot in this country,is one who stands up for rights and freedom from an oppressive ruling class.........Being an American,is no longer something that is connected with the Whitehouse,or saying nice things about our leaders,and the contorted monster our government has festered into...no,,Patriots,are guys like the ones at the Boston tea party,,Patriots are the ones who say "Dont Tread On Me"....Patriots are the ones who say,"No Taxation without representation",,"Give me liberty,or give me death",,,,"Live free or Die"....dddd [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by freedom fighter on July 03, 2001 at 15:07:50 PT |
| That swelling pride of what it mean to be alive and truly free. United we stand, Divided we fall.. One is free when others are free. Truth is just so simple and some time it hurts... If anything, that bright candlelight burning and it is not in our country but elsewhere. Tomorrow, my thoughts will be toward to those who are imprisoned because of others who choose to abstain but feel so insecure that they would impose their theory of abstaining by imprisoning folks who may be different. \/ ff [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #8 posted by Kevin Hebert on July 03, 2001 at 13:24:36 PT:
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| How long will it be before we can do that here? Just remember, it was 225 years ago that we told Britain we would not live under tyranny. How ironic that today, we are the ones who live under tyrants! Have a great Independence Day, all. And let's hope that by next year, we will have at least the same freedom that our former "British oppressors" enjoy today! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by sm247 on July 03, 2001 at 11:28:32 PT |
| Wow....very cool story. I just hope the "public use" doesn't ruin it for you all. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by Robbie on July 03, 2001 at 10:51:15 PT |
| And, just out of fairness, we should include the antis; hey, antis, you want some of this? (Smile) The antis would just look forlornly at you and say "*tsk* *tsk* *tsk* And now marijuana has given you gambling problems. It's ok, we'll arrest you for that too so we can convince others that we're fixing you." Anything else so they dont have to face the fact that they're losing. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 03, 2001 at 09:58:28 PT |
| Canada has kept it's own identity and I sure hope they stand strong even if our country tries to bribe them like they do. Money the most addicting drug of all. All this over a sweet medicinal plant. I hope they stand strong against our oppressive country. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by Anonymous on July 03, 2001 at 09:48:12 PT |
| My money was on the Canadians, as well. I happen to think that the telling moment in the coming repeal of cannabis prohibition abroad was when the US got booted off the UN Drug Control panel. Quite frankly, Europe is done spitting in the wind for Uncle Sam. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by dddd on July 03, 2001 at 09:45:55 PT |
| ..I'm not a bettin' man either.,,,,When I start gambling,my French-Canadian half kicks in,and I get carried away worse than a Texas power company that struck gold in California.,, or a crack whore at the Bogota Hilton. I hate to be a wet blanket,,,,but I dont think your 9 months Nope,,,I dont think you're going to see either country do anything [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by FoM on July 03, 2001 at 09:21:03 PT |
| I'll tell you Kaptinemo I'm not sure. I'm not a betting person but it is going to be close. It depends on if our country gets to them. I hope they keep their opinions out but we know how they are. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on July 03, 2001 at 09:08:57 PT:
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| I've got a hundred US bucks, ready to be wired to the winner (if it's not me), as to which English-speaking Western nation decrims/re-legalizes cannabis first. I used to think it would be the Canucks, with their last-year surprise OCA ruling effectively nullifying the cannabis laws, but with the recent swiftness of developments in the UK, I'm not so sure, anymore. So, which will it be? Canada or the UK? And when: I say the UK, within one year. Make that 9 months. Now, I'm not usually a betting man. I've played for really high stakes in the military game, and almost lost big time. So I'm very leery of any gambling. But this looks like a sure thing, to me. And, just out of fairness, we should include the antis; hey, antis, you want some of this? (Smile) [ Post Comment ] |
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