I'D SELL CANNABIS, SAYS BRANSON

Virgin boss Richard Branson said last night that he would sell legalised
cannabis in his stores but not tobacco because it is too dangerous.

He said his company would not want to get involved in selling ordinary
cigarettes - but he would not rule out promoting cannabis if the law allowed
it because it was probably less harmful than tobacco.

The millionaire businessman said that to encourage youngsters to smoke would
be 'immoral'. But although he was not advocating the sale of cannabis if it
was legalised, he added: "If a cigarette company started selling it at too
high a price, I'm sure we'd be in there."

Last year Branson was among 100 prominent people who signed a public
declaration in favour of the decriminilisation of cannabis. They also
included former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, Body Shop founder Anita Roddick,
public relations guru Max Clifford, author Martin Amis and veteran
playwright Harold Pinter.

Branson, whose commercial activities range from air travel to condoms, was
speaking on the importance of product brands on 'The Money Programme' on
BBC2 last night.

Asked about cannabis, he said: "I personally think it should be legalised. I
think it's wrong that 100,000 young people have criminal records every year
for doing something which is no worse than their parents are doing every
night - drinking alcohol."