CAMPAIGNER TAKES CANNABIS FIGHT TO HOME SECRETARY

A CAMPAIGNER for the legalisation of cannabis is taking his fight to
the Home Secretary.

Don Barnard, campaigner for the Legalise Cannabis Alliance in
Braintree, has helped produce a document which challenges the
Government over its drug policy.

And he is hoping the document, which has also been produced in Braille
format, will be presented to Home secretary David Blunkett

The campaigner has contacted Braintree MP Alan Hurst with the
document.

Although Mr Hurst says he does not support the campaign to legalise
cannabis, he has written to the Home Secretary to try and arrange a
meeting so he can receive the document.

The document is called Challenging the Criminal Justice System, and is
jointly written by Mr Barnard and Alun Buffry.

In it the Legalise Cannabis Alliance calls for a public debate about
the drug with consultation between cannabis users as well as
doctors,social workers and professional drug workers.

The Alliance wants the drug to be legalised and for places to be set
up where the drug use is permitted.

Mr Barnard said:" We are concerned that David Blunket has not been
given all the facts about cannabis.

"Hopefully we can have a real debate, because I feel at the moment
they government is just paying lip service to the issue without
talking to the people who really know about the subject."