CANNABIS LAW PROTEST GROUP HOLD 'SMOKE-IN'

Campaigners for the legalisation of cannabis smoked joints in public to show
how banning the drug has failed.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Misuse of Drugs Act, capaign group
Smokey Bears' Picnic met on Devonshire Green in Sheffield.

They claim the prohibition of cannabis is "immoral in principle and
unworkable in practice".

Smokey Bears' Picnic spokesman Gary said: "There's no reason for cannabis to
be illegal. If we don't obey the laws they won't work."

The group claim cannabis is not harmful to health, is not addictive and does
not lead to hard drugs. Instead they say it is widely used to relieve
stress, as a social relaxant and has many medicinal uses.

There are 15 million otherwise law-abiding cannabis users in the UK who are
branded as criminals.

A police spokesman said if offences were committed they had a duty to
prosecute the offenders but no-one was arrested.

Last year the British Medical Association said it favoured decriminalising
cannabis because it was "safe".

* What do you think?

Checked-by: Don Beck