GO DUTCH IN DORSET

An Amsterdam-style cafe where people openly smoke cannabis has opened in,
of all places, Bournemouth. Mark Mace went to check it out

You wouldn't expect a Bournemouth policeman to give you directions to
Britain's second cannabis cafe but, if you ask politely, they will point
you towards the industrial estate on Boscombe station approach, where you
will find the Dutch Experience 2.

Bournemouth is traditionally known for its pleasant climate, affordable
bungalows and sandy beaches, and was once considered a haven for
pensioners. But the Dorset town has recently undergone a change of pace
and, with its vibrant club scene and large student population, is becoming
a favourite destination for many of London's weekend revellers, not to
mention its pot smokers.

The Dutch Experience 2, (DE2), was opened on April Fools' Day - with
professional advice from the local council and with little attention from
the local police - and it has been busy selling teas, coffees and dope
paraphernalia for nigh on a month. What it doesn't do is actually sell
dope, instead it exploits the unofficial "relaxing" of laws in relation to
cannabis to give people a place where they can go to smoke it. You'll know
it when you get there. It has the look of a Wendy house put together by an
apathetic kid with little touches of artistic individuality that suggest
either genius or madness. It is quaintly cute. Outside, on the small,
shaded patio, a man rolls a joint. Inside, the cafe bears a closer
resemblance to a roadside greasy spoon than a Costa Coffee. All of the
conversion work has been done by volunteers. One wall is devoted to the
"Free Colin Davies" campaign. Davies, the owner of the first Dutch
Experience cafe in Stockport, is currently residing at her majesty's
pleasure in HMP Strangeways after being arrested on the first day of
trading. His cafe is still open.

The obligatory "No Victim, No Crime" poster is displayed beside another
urging "If anyone offers you hard drugs tell a member of staff". The house
rules are clear: "No under 18s, no police officers, no alcohol, no
recording equipment and no unreasonable behaviour."

Bob Windsor, 47, a graphic designer and a veteran of Amsterdam and
Maastricht coffee shops is on his third visit to the cafe. "The rules are
cool and people stick to them. I was here at closing time one night and
they said, 'That's it, we're shut,' and everybody just got up and left.
You'd never see that in a pub." James, the volunteer barman, is also keen
for the cause. "The people who come in are aged 18 to 80. A lot of them
come in wanting to know about hemp, seed lists, medical information and to
find out whether we're criminals. We're trying to put a legitimate face on
something that is not harmful if taken in a legal way."

DE2's owner, Jim Ward, 29, insists that the rules of the shop and his
customers' understanding of the profound nature of the experiment will mean
that this venture will be a success both locally and nationally. "I've
wanted to set up this cafe for 14 years," he explains. "It's a genuine
service. In Amsterdam, coffee shops have reduced the crime rate and the
number of addicts. We aim to break the link between soft and hard drugs. On
the second day that we were open we caught a heroin dealer in the cafe with
60 wraps. We called the police and handed him over.

"We are only open until 10pm and we ask our members to respect our
neighbours when leaving. We are determined to make this work as a
legitimate business. In time I believe there will be more cannabis cafes
around the country."

The cafe is situated close to a primary school, as well as two drug
rehabilitation centres. In the local newsagents the staff express concern
about location of DE2. But its opening has not been entirely negative, adds
the manager with a grin. "We do sell them a lot of sweets.I don't think
we've had any problems from them - more trouble with the football fans."

In a nearby hi-fi shop, the owner, Mark Jericovic, admits that he is
curious about the cafe: "I might go down for a cup of tea and see what the
kerfuffle is about."

One of his customers is not so keen. Jacqui Fogg, 32, works for an
education centre which educates children about drug misuse. It has visited
the primary school near DE2 in the past. "How will it look if they see
their mates or maybe even their parents going in there? I think there is a
lot of confusion about cannabis. People don't know if it is illegal or not.
I don't approve of these shops at all." At present there are plans for a
dozen more cafes across the country, including Liverpool, Preston, Rhyl and
London. Some commentators believe that the home secretary, David Blunkett,
is assessing the two cannabis cafes to find "best practice" ahead of the
quasi-decriminalisation of cannabis which is expected later this summer.

DE2 has so far avoided being raided by the Dorset police. As DCI Colin
Stanger explains: "We target dealers and users of more harmful Class A
drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, but clearly we will not tolerate the
dealing in and use of cannabis because it is an offence and our duty is to
enforce the law." Nevertheless, on top of asking a bobby for directions to
DE2, you can even ask: "If I get really stoned and I need a cab?" and he'll
point you towards a local taxi rank and bid you a pleasant day.