Veteran cannabis campaigner Don Barnard is to stand against the Home Secretary at the next general election. Don, who recently moved to Witham, hopes that by contesting Charles Clarke's seat in Norwich South, he will stimulate interest in the possibility of legalising the drug. As a representative of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, Don said: "Mr Clarke has refused to discuss cannabis as an election issue, so I want to give it the prominence it deserves and get it debated. "I want people to know the facts so that they can think critically, and exercise sound judgement based on facts rather than rely on chat show hosts and media hype." [continues 192 words]
A 38-year-old Braintree man, who grew his own cannabis and smoked it to relieve rheumatoid arthritis, narrowly escaped jail because of the debilitating condition. Garry Campbell, of Templar Place, was given a suspended 28-day prison sentence after admitting at Chelmsford Magistrates Court to cultivating cannabis worth UKP8,000. Campbell, who walks with the aid of a crutch, also admitted possessing 3.68 grammes of cannabis resin, valued between UKP1,234 and UKP1,600 and 2.89 grammes of herbal cannabis, worth UKP10, for which he was not given a separate sentence. [continues 144 words]
CANNABIS: EVIL OR A HARMLESS WEED OR A HARMLESS HIGH? - BY Inan Sage SKUNK PSYCHOSIS IS NOT A SOFT OPTION - Anon LEGALISATION IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD - BY Don Barnard [LCA] DRUG REFORM IS BACKWARD STEP - Editorial Comment - - CANNABIS:EVIL WEED OR HARMLESS HIGH, Ivan Sage The Government's controversial reforms in cannabis law come into effect from today. While some are welcoming a relaxation in the law, others are far from happy. Here, Ivan Sage gives an overview of the reforms and reports on how the changes in the law will. be policed. [continues 1801 words]
THE down grading of cannabis from class B to C seems to have prompted the 'anti-cannabis' campaigners to launch their traditional arguments, against a drug that, if it really did have all the negative effects claimed, should have long ago turned the population of the UK into snarling drugged out zombies. Therefore, in referring to the 'dark effects' of cannabis (Chronicle, January 22), I must take issue with a "parents' tragedy" as justification for maintaining its classification and 'illegal' status. [continues 200 words]
A SHOP in Witham will not be turned into the county's first-ever cannabis cafe. Braintree District Council has pulled the plug on plans by pro-cannabis campaigners to offer the drug on open sale in a disused unit in the shopping precinct if the Government downgraded it from Class B to C. A spokeswoman said the shops off Spa Road were all council owned, and the council would not even consider letting them for an illegal use. "There has not been a proposal made as yet, but in any case the council would not consider any proposal which was not legal," said Ann Proudfoot. [continues 144 words]
Six candidates are set to fight the Braintree Council by-election for a vacancy in the town's west ward following the resignation of Labour's Chris Bacon after moving to Singapore. Labour will be making a big push for the seat to ensure they maintain their hold on the authority. The party currently has 29 of the seats, with the combined forces of other parties and independents totalling 30. Polling day is Thursday January 31. Labour's candidate is Graham Darwood, 30, a solicitor specialising in employment law, who lives in Braintree. [continues 143 words]
A pro-cannabis lobby is urging those attending a Smokey Bear party in Chelmsford not to bring hard drugs to Saturday's controversial protest. The UK Cannabis Internet Activists (UKCIA), and umbrella for cannabis supporters, has hit back some media reports that it is a "drugs party." They say the event is a demonstration in support of cannabis - also known as marijuana - being legalised and the end of its prohibition as a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [continues 154 words]
ESSEX Police have warned that they will enforce the law if supporters of legalise cannabis go ahead with plans to hold a Smokey Bear party in Central Park, Chelmsford. The party, set for next Saturday, September 8, in Chelmsford would be the first of its kind in Essex. The anonymous organisers advertise parties on the Internet as a means of testing official reaction to the public smoking of cannabis. Almost all pass peacefully, although there have been scuffles when police have arrested smokers. [continues 77 words]
The family of a 23-year-old Chelmsford stage star who died five years ago have warned of the dangerous effects of cannabis and hit out at recent calls to legalise the drug. Scott Sherrin, a presenter of BBC's That's Life and star of musicals Fame and Five Guys Named Moe, disappeared in September 1995 and his body was found in the River Thames at Wapping in March 1996. In a letter to the Essex Chronicle Scott's sister Kerry, 34, cites cannabis as one of the factors that lead to the loss of the entertainer's life. "Cannabis had altered my brother's brain, he had become psychotic, unpredictable and very frightening," she said. [continues 218 words]
THE Legalise Cannabis Alliance has announced it has selected Michael (Buster) Nolan as its prospective parliamentary candidate to fight the Braintree seat in the next General Election, which now looks likely to take place on June 7. Mr Nolan, who fought Braintree as a New Millennium New Way candidate in 1997, said: "I want to dispel the myths surrounding the cannabis plant. It is not only about the right to smoke cannabis. Campaigning "I have been campaigning for many years about the ever worsening state of our trees and how the hemp plant will save them - and us. Let's not forget trees provide us with the air we breathe. [continues 75 words]
