Pubdate: Mon, 05 Mar 2007
Source: Sheffield Star (UK)
Copyright: Sheffield Newspapers 2007
Contact:  http://www.sheffweb.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/413
Author: Russ Newton
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

AGEING HIPPIES' CANNABIS RING

- -- A COUPLE of ageing hippies have escaped jail sentences for their 
part in a cannabis co-operative run by women in a South Yorkshire 
village who smoke 'joints' to ease their painful joints.

Jacqueline Bell and Valerie Owen were among a circle of six friends 
aged from 42 to 70 living in Highfields, Doncaster, who clubbed 
together to buy the drug because of their various medical conditions.

And today they vowed to carry on smoking dope even though they risk 
going to prison for ignoring a sentence imposed by a judge at 
Doncaster Crown Court.

Recorder Peter Kelson QC said he realised they would carry using 
cannabis because they had strong feelings about it and told them: "If 
you want to stand on your principles you can take your prison 
sentence - it's your choice."

Bell, aged 53, was given three months for possession with intent to 
supply and Owen, 46, received one month for possession, both 
suspended for 51 weeks. They will also be tagged to stay at home 
under curfew every night for the next six months.

The court was told how drugs squad officers found two blocks of 
cannabis weighing 716 grams in a wardrobe and 11 other pieces in 
various parts of the terraced house in South Street.

The street value of the drugs was more than UKP3,000 and Bell told 
officers that half a dozen women in the village would take it in 
turns to buy in bulk to take for medicinal reasons.

Speaking at the house where their hippie-style Volkswagen camper van, 
named Passing Wind, is parked outside, Bell told The Star: "We're not 
going to stop smoking.

"I've been crippled with arthritis for 13 years and Val also has 
arthritis and other health problems. "Cannabis makes such a 
difference. We have a couple of joints at night and that helps us 
both sleep. We're both in severe pain and if we didn't we would never 
have any sleep."

Bell added: "I was born in and brought up in the hippie era when most 
people smoked cannabis. We're known in the village as the hippie drug 
dealers and we've never kept it secret."

But the women are adamant they only sell the cannabis to their circle 
and would not consider dealing with young people or anybody else..

"It was just the six of us although one recently moved away. Another 
lady has just been diagnosed with a condition and has been given 10 
years to live so why shouldn't she enjoy a joint? We all save up each 
week and it was unfortunately my turn to buy it when the police came.

"I don't normally have that amount. We're just a couple of geriatric 
hippies who smoke pot because we need to for medical reasons."

Bell said she did needlework and sold items at car boot sales to 
raise her share of the drugs kitty money.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom