CANNABIS CAFE PLANS SLAMMED BY MOTHER

A MOTHER whose son was left seriously ill after taking an illegal drug has
hit out at plans to open the first ever "cannabis cafe" in Essex.

A site has not yet been earmarked for the venture, but its manager Chris
Philbin is hoping to secure a location on the Humber Road estate in Witham.

Mr Philbin, a member of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, said cannabis
campaigners were waiting for Home Secretary David Blunkett to decide
whether the drug should be downgraded from class B to class C.

But he added it was possible the cafe could open for people to bring and
smoke their own cannabis even if the change did not go ahead.

However, police have warned cannabis remains illegal and they "would deal
with it as such".

Tiptree mum Lesley Harper -- whose son Michael Pritchard was left seriously
ill in January after taking speed, the first time he had taken drugs --
said she did not think the cafe was a good idea. Michael, 15, is now
recovered and back at school.

His mother said: "Cannabis leads to other drugs. It is not a good idea at
all. Young people try cannabis and then they want to try something else. I
don't think it should be allowed."

If cannabis did become class C, Mr Philbin said they would consider selling
it to customers.

Mr Philbin, of Crouch Drive, Witham, said: "We have been talking about this
for ages and when David Blunkett eases up on the law a bit it will become a
more sensible idea to give people a choice whether they want to go to the
pub or a coffee shop."

Mr Philbin said he would try and open the coffee shop even if cannabis was
not downgraded.

He added that the Magna Carta allowed citizens to ignore the law if it did
not make sense.

"It is a natural plant given to us by God and the fact it is illegal is, to
me, unnatural," said Mr Philbin.

He said he had been conducting his own market research by speaking to
parents about the idea.

"I have spoken to parents and all of them said they would prefer their
children to be around cannabis than alcohol. It is much less harmful.

"The cafe would get children off the streets and away from alcohol, into an
environment where they would be able to sit down and talk to people rather
than beat people up."

He added: "I am 33 and have smoked cannabis since I was 16. It is not a
gateway drug, tobacco is a gateway drug and that is a fact.

"I know people who have done other drugs and they would have done it
whether they had cannabis or not."

Chief Insp Glenn Caton, of Braintree police, which covers Witham, said last
night: "At the moment cannabis is illegal and we would deal with it as
such. As a police service that is what we do, we don't have a choice."

He said people using the cafe could be charged with possession and whoever
ran it risked serious charges, including allowing the premises to be used
for the smoking of cannabis.

Chief Insp Caton added: "I have been in the cell blocks when people have
been suffering from the effects of drugs and no parent would support that
course of action.

"Most people still consider drugs a stigma whether for a medical reason or
not."

Witham town and Braintree district councillor Dr Bob Evans said he treated
the news "very cautiously".

"I would want to know much more about the aims and objectives of opening
such premises as to where it might lead and what is likely to be achieved
apart from, of course, people could go in and smoke drugs," he said.

"I respect Essex Police and they are dealing on a day to day basis with
criminal acts. Many people using cannabis are resorting to crime in order
to feed their habit. So I have to say I am very, very cautious."

The LCA says it does not advocate breaking cannabis laws, but is
campaigning to have the drug legalised.

Two pupils have been withdrawn from a top private school by their parents
after they were caught in possession of drugs on its premises.

Both teenagers were suspended from UKP 2,000-a-term Ipswich School for
bringing cannabis into school grounds earlier this month. Police have
issued reprimands to the boys, who are both believed to be 15.

The school's headteacher, Ian Galbraith, confirmed that parents had taken
both of the teenagers out of school.