LEGAL CANNABIS HOPES OF UK UNION WOMEN DASHED

LONDON - Women in Britain's largest trade union on Friday rejected a
proposal to call for the legalisation of cannabis -- despite using a novel
argument that the drug offers weight-conscious women a calorie-free way to
relax.

A spokeswoman for Unison, which is holding its annual women's conference in
Cardiff, said two-thirds of delegates voted against the motion.

But the issue may not end there.

"They felt it would be more appropriate to be considered union-wide rather
than just by the women's committee," the spokeswoman told Reuters.

Members of the union's eastern region had put forward the suggestion as a
"women's issue," saying women could use cannabis to relax and de-stress
without calories, in contrast to alcohol or chocolate.