cannabisnews.com: Amsterdam Could Come To SW9





Amsterdam Could Come To SW9
Posted by FoM on August 31, 2001 at 18:10:16 PT
By Laura Smith
Source: London Evening Standard 
Brixton could see the first "cannabis cafes" in Britain under a plan that tests the new relaxed attitude to drugs to the limit. The mood of sections of the community today appears in favour of Amsterdam's approach, as a series of debates is expected to show. "This is not a decision for Lambeth alone," councillor Johanna Sherrington told the crowd at the first meeting at The Juice Bar, Coldharbour Lane. "The police have the ultimate say about these issues. We have got neighbours. We can't act in isolation. We haven't blocked anything that the police have done but that does not mean that we are pro-legalisation." 
While she stressed that she had an "open mind" about drugs and that Lambeth's policy was to "watch and see", she said the Labour council was not in favour of legalising drugs and she warned the meeting: "Let's not forget that cannabis is illegal." She said: "I don't think the police's decision to relax the laws is on ideological grounds. It is because of the reality that they can't fill the 80 or so posts. I think they've just said we can't deal with everything, so we are not going to deal with cannabis." Police in Lambeth are not arresting people found with small amounts of cannabis, instead they issue a warning and confiscate the drugs. But at the first debate at the Juice Bar it was clear many felt this did not go far enough. They said the drug has been openly available in Brixton for decades and the majority at this week's debate saw cannabis cafes as the next logical step. Alastair Williams, of Cannabis Action London, who organised the meeting, said cafes were a "socially responsible" approach. "It is within the power of the police authority to have pilot schemes and alternative ways of policing drugs in society," he said. Pub landlord Martyn Cannan said: "Entrepreneurs should seize the moment. If a cafe is licensed and registered in a safe and correct manner you will know what you are going to buy. Those people who don't want to have anything to do with cannabis will know where not to go." Brixton resident and Lambeth schools youth worker Michael Morris said: "The opening up of places where people come to smoke would release huge amounts of local government and central government revenue." There was widespread anger over the prevalence of dealers in hard drugs in the area and many at the meeting argued the opening of cafes might free police to deal with them. Shane Collins, drugs spokesman for the Lambeth Green Party, said: "There should be licensed coffee shops for cannabis. We are not going to be given coffee shops by those people in suits. If we are going to have them we have got to take them and set them up." Meeting organisers said Lambeth police declined to attend despite being invited. The next meeting is on Wednesday at 7pm at The Juice Bar. Source: London Evening Standard (UK)Author: Laura SmithPublished: August 31, 2001Copyright: 2001 Associated Newspapers Ltd.Contact: letters standard.co.ukWebsite: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/Related Articles:Europe's Antidrug Bastion Reconsiders http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10764.shtmlDoes Tolerating Marijuana Keep People Off Drugshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10754.shtmlEurope Goes To Pot - Time Magazinehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10605.shtml
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 01, 2001 at 10:00:57 PT
Radio Program
Hi Everyone, I was told that Cannabis News was mentioned on the Corey and Jay Show. It is a popular radio program from Arkansas. Thought I'd share it with all of you!http://www.coreyandjayshow.com/08/31/01 - "Found this site while browsing for some links to send ya so here it is: http://www.cannabisnews.com  Read the comments.You can tell by their writing that they partook in the sweetleaf while typing in their comments.lol cant get enough Corey and Jay (also 14k) Peace we out " - from "Yankee and Brenda" 
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Comment #3 posted by p4me on August 31, 2001 at 20:08:07 PT:
Cannabis will bring sanity
You know that when I was a kid they used to say "Don't knock it until you have tried it." I mean how could they take so long to set up a pilot program to see what happenned. Britain is motivated to do something because Amsterdam is an hour away and they do not want the money leaving the country. Everything else is secondary.I sure hope they don't let them grow that industrial hemp. The United States is right on that one. That could hurt big business and politics as the western world has learned it. It would be social anarchy.
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Comment #2 posted by like on August 31, 2001 at 19:16:41 PT
some light
what's this? a glimmer of sanity dawning on the authorities??"Well, gee, it seems so simple... just set up coffee-style shops and take cannabis out of the black market into a regulated, safe setting, therby eliminating the criminal element from the drug. Now, why haven't we thought of this before???"It would seem that the only driving force behind the fantastic all-american drug war is madness (ooops... and greed of course, lots of greed). And really, it would seem that any concept founded on ignorant bull$*** has a limited lifespan, since the lie needs to get bigger as time passes to keep the populance distracted from the truth.But yes, with any lie there appears to be a critical mass, where the mind begins to question things because somethingdoesn't add up. Like: "How much of the suffering caused by illegal drugs is actually the fault of society's policy and attitude towards them?" And: "Is it realistic to eliminate drug use, when some form consiousness alteration is present in all cultures throughout history?".Drug use is not a problem to be solved. The only 'problem' is society's insistance that drug use is somehow unnatural and needs to be supressed. That is why more and more, legalization is becoming the OBVIOUS solution. "hmmmmm....cannabis shops, why didn't we think of this before?"...indeed.   
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Comment #1 posted by MikeEEEEE on August 31, 2001 at 18:57:42 PT
Dealers Beware
Pub landlord Martyn Cannan said: "Entrepreneurs should seize the moment. If a cafe is licensed and registered in a safe and correct manner you will know what you are going to buy. Dealers, this could put you out of business.
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