POLICE WARN AGAINST CANNABIS CAFE

Scottish police have said that any plans to open a cannabis cafe north
of the border would be illegal. The statement from officers on Tayside
follows reports in two Sunday newspapers that campaigners for the
medical use of the drug are considering opening an Amsterdam-style
cafe in Dundee.

The Sunday Herald and Scotland and Sunday newspapers reported that the
cafe planned to offer cut-price "medi-weed" for people with medical
conditions such as multiple sclerosis, while also catering for
recreational users.

The proposal mirrors a similar venture in England, when the UK's first
marijuana cafe - The Dutch Experience - opened in Stockport, Greater
Manchester, in September.

Tayside Police said on Sunday: "We have no knowledge of any plans to open a cannabis cafe in the city.

"As the law stands, anyone doing this in Scotland would be acting
illegally."

Both Sunday newspapers reported that a Scottish branch of the Medical
Marijuana Co-operative (MMCO) was looking to open a cafe in Dundee.

An activist for the MMCO in Scotland told Scotland on Sunday: "We will be up and running before Christmas.

"There is somebody already seeking property full-time in the city and,
when he has found it, he will then become the 'front runner' - the
person who will be faced with the prospect of the harassment from the
local forces.

Cannabis Reclassified

"Cannabis will be available on the premises but it won't be advertised
as being sold on the premises. The owner won't be aware of the
details." The MMCO's decision to open a cafe north of the border
follows a decision last month by Home Secretary David Blunkett that
cannabis would be reclassified from a class 'B' to a class 'C' drug.

This will put it on par with tranquilisers and anabolic steroids - a
move which some groups interpret as the first step towards
decriminalisation.

A number of people were arrested when The Dutch Experience cafe opened
in Stockport, but despite the initial police intervention it continues
to operate.

Earlier this month it emerged that cafes similar to the one in
Stockport may also be opened in Cumbria and Worthing, West Sussex.