CANNABIS CAFE FOR CITY?

LEGALISE cannabis campaigner Patman Denning says he wants to open Milton
Keynes' first marijuana cafe .

He's been inspired after visiting Britain's first Amsterdam-style coffee shop.

Patman, of Old Farm Park, went to Stockport on Saturday to support his
friend and fellow cannabis fan Colin Davies who was opening the illegal
Dutch Experience cafe. During the grand opening about 20 police officers
raided the premises and Mr Davies was arrested, as well as four Dutch
people brought in to advise him on his new and risky venture.

Soon after Mr Davies' arrest a crowd of between 50 and 60 people, including
Patman, held a protest. Yet, despite openly smoking marijuana in front of
police, the defiant Patman was not arrested.

"The police had already been in," said Patman, who says cannabis eases the
symptoms of his MS. "I was there when they arrested some of the Dutch
people. "About 2pm the police left and the door was reopened. It is still
open as a cafe but you can't get anything from it because they had all
their stuff confiscated.

"I was banging on the window saying, 'let me in, I want my medicine'. Then
the police threatened to arrest me if I did not move.

"As soon as they started doing that, I thought I would skin up outside in
front of the police. They did not do anything."

Following Saturday's events, Patman, who stood for his own Legalise
Cannabis party in this year's general election, said he would like to open
a similar coffee shop in Milton Keynes.

He said that by providing cafes, users would not need to buy cannabis from
dealers who could expose them to other, more harmful drugs.