AMSTERDAM COULD COME TO SW9

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.