CANNABIS GROUP TO CONTEST ALL CITY SEATS

Alliance Fields Candidates in 13 Wards for Local Elections

CANNABIS campaigners are preparing to stand in every Norwich ward in
next month's local elections.

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance has put candidates forward for all 13
of Norwich City Council's wards and in one in Great Yarmouth.

Among its would-be councillors are a hospital worker, a college
technician and a cerebral palsy sufferer.

While the party has fought in elections before, most notably when
convicted international drug smuggler Howard Marks ran for election,
this year's campaign marks the highest number of candidates for Norwich.

The Norwich-based organisation, a registered political party since
1999, is also planning to contest the European Elections in the
region, challenging seats in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire,
Huntingdon and Lincolnshire.

Among the candidates are:

* Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital medical records worker
Patrick Cadman. The 48-year-old is standing in Mile Cross.

* Cerebral palsy sufferer John Wakelin, 37. He is standing for
Lakenham ward and said the drug eased his pain without unpleasant side
effects.

* Norwich City College technician Derek Williams, who is contesting
Nelson ward.

He said: "I intend to stand as a purely representative candidate with
no political agenda beyond representation, other than the cannabis
issue.

"I see the job of councillor as being a community representative,
rather than as some kind of political leader."

* Alun Buffry, national co-ordinator for the Legalise Cannabis
Alliance. The 54-year-old is standing in University ward.

He said: "To some people thirteen may be a unlucky number, but for us
we feel that thirteen wards will bring us nothing but good reports.

"My personal message is that I am fed up with being represented by
career politicians who give more credence to their party leaders than
the electorate.

"Although all our candidates have differing views on some issues, we
agree that the ban on cannabis does far more harm and good, to society
and to the environment.

"We are really a group of independents gathered together under the
umbrella of the LCA, but we are all keen to find out exactly what
people want and to represent them on Norwich City Council next year.

"To us cannabis prohibition epitomises many of the problems we face in
society today, and offers a real solution.

"It is only the scare-mongering of the big party politicians that
prevents people seeing that cannabis is far more than a recreational
substance for a minority of people - it is a source of medicine, fuel,
food, building materials, plastic, paper and more."