THE PURPLE HAZE OPENS IN FOG OF CONFUSION

The Purple Haze cannabis cafe opened yesterday amid a blaze of publicity,
and a fog of confusion over whether anything illegal had happened inside.

The owner Paul Stewart, 37, plans to run the cafe as a private members'
club and invited people to bring their own cannabis to the premises.

Tobacco is banned because of "health concerns", membership costs 5 pounds
and Mr Stewart asked his customers to use the drug with a "vapouriser"
which allegedly removes most of the carcinogens.

Dozens of customers, and three uniformed police officers, were waiting
outside when the doors opened at 4pm in Portland Place in the Leith area of
Edinburgh.

The officers handed each individual entering the cafe a leaflet warning
that the reclassification of the drug had been misunderstood "by some
members of the public".

They also took Mr Stewart aside several times to warn him that he would be
arrested if they suspected any wrongdoing.

Behind blacked-out windows, menu boards offered a selection of regular food
and drink, as well as the more exotic "Hawaiian mushrooms". But while some
new members indulged in a pot of tea, most left after a few minutes.

The leaflet said: "The change in class only impacts on the penalties
available to the courts and does not in any way alter police procedures.
Where evidence of an offence exists offenders will continue to be charged
and reported to the procurator fiscal."

Insp Neil Phillip said club members were not being searched yesterday, as
the police needed "reasonable grounds" to suspect people were in possession
of cannabis.