MARKET MAN PLANS CANNABIS CAFE

A Colchester market trader is hoping to establish the town's first
Amsterdam-style cannabis cafe.

Dave Beard, 43, operates a stall in Trinity Square selling smoking
paraphernalia and marijuana seeds.

Because of grey areas in the law, these items can be sold legally so long
as the seeds are not grown and the "bongs", pipes and specially long
cigarette papers are not used with illegal substances.

His stall, trading under the name Culture Stir, has operated since 1986.

Following changes to UK drugs policy announced by the Home Secretary this
year which will make marijuana possession a non-arrestable offence Mr Beard
is hoping to test the rules with a cafe tolerating the consumption of the drug.

"As soon as I can find somewhere I want to start up a professionally run
cafe where people can come and smoke and I won't ask them what they are
smoking."

Essex Police said they would come down hard on any attempt to establish a cafe.

A spokesman said: "We will enter and arrest anyone found to be ingesting
cannabis. It remains an illegal substance and we will come down hard on the
organisers of any such."