If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
prohibition relaxing.
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
as from january!
0
Comments
Cannabis use and cultivation in England and Wales
Cannabis use is widespread in England and Wales. At least three million people used it in 2001, including around a quarter of young adults (aged 16 to 29). Levels of domestic cultivation have increased steeply over the past decade. Cannabis cultivated in England and Wales may now account for half of consumption. Much of this domestically cultivated cannabis is home-grown for personal use.
Simon Woodroffe, founder of the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain, is among investors standing by - among them pop stars, venture capitalists and even a television racing pundit. While most established businesses are keeping silent on their plans, Woodroffe is looking to create an "elegant" range of high class cannabis bars in London that would redefine the drug's image.
London Evening Standard - Cannabisness: springing up
freinds of mine ...with an wee investment from moi ...will be opening a private smoking club in manchester next year ... instead of a cafe. the class c tag will make it almost impossible for the law to do anything. i'm sure they'll try but every member will own every crumb of weed found on the premises ...meaning that a few hundred people will have to appear in court with a few hundred solicitors! gridlock!
It is the first time magistrates have allowed a person who admitted the crime to successfully defend himself on the grounds that he was doing it out of necessity rather than for pleasure. Crown court juries have acquitted in these circumstances.
Last night, police and politicians said the decision added further confusion to the law on cannabis and the Crown Prosecution Service warned it was considering an appeal.
Defendant Brad Stephens, from Carmarthenshire, said he had told the court he would kill himself if he couldn't carry on using the drug.
And although the 55 grammes of cannabis he had in his possession on the day police raided his home was confiscated, Carmar-then magistrates agreed that his defence was legitimate.
Mr Stephens, who has cervical spondylosis, is prescribed morphine for daily use to combat the pain, but told the court he could not do without cannabis.
After the verdict he said, "I'm over the moon. There are hundreds of thousands of other people who say exactly the same thing as I'm saying and it would be great if we were allowed to obtain it without having to break the law."
Last night a Home Office spokeswoman said that possession remained an arrestable offence, although the Government was looking at new guidelines for police.
Mr Stephens's solicitor, Mike Reed, said the magistrates had used their common sense. "Hopefully the police and CPS will also use common sense in future, as the Government has suggested."
An Association of Chief Police Officers spokesman said, "People have been getting confused and at the moment a lot is down to the discretion of the police officer."
If one person holds the puff, even if it isnt really theirs, then hands it to another, that is supply and can be prosecuted as such.
Could someone explain to me how the club makes this any different, I cant see it.
it will not be possible to just walk in off the street so a raid will be slow in taking place. all spliffs etc will be placed in ashtrays and on tables. weed in the safe will belong to ALL the members.
being class c will change things massively for criminal actions but i can't explain that right now.
if a quantity of dope is siezed ...even members who are not there on that particular day will be coming forward with a solicitor of their choosing to make a statement saying that they own a share in that dope. it will be forced upon the police to charge everyone ...hopefully a few hundred. each person will be encouraged to have a different solicitor therby cuasing absolute chaos in the court. adjournments ...wittnesses for each other ...sickies ...holidays and all manner of things will make the whole process near impossible ...
remember this is pushing the boundaries into uncharted waters but with good legal backing and representation. yes there are risks. but those risks are quite small for the individual whilst legaly being a member of a larger group.
if the old bill wish to pick off the odd individual outside either coming or going then big deal ...the police will be wasting time and money bothering someone for a few quids worth of a class c substance.
and on an even bigger scale is this bit from post above ....
In the news:
Simon Woodroffe, founder of the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain, is among investors standing by - among them pop stars, venture capitalists and even a television racing pundit. While most established businesses are keeping silent on their plans, Woodroffe is looking to create an "elegant" range of high class cannabis bars in London that would redefine the drug's image.
London Evening Standard - Cannabisness: springing up
more and more people are pushing this forward now. more pressure ...and yes risks but diminishing ones ...
the only way is up!
Oh and of course there is the asset taking law to think about as well, you may well find that goods, plus even the property itself could be taken. This would be legal if the goods were involved in the buying and selling of illegal drugs, which they would be.
And if you only rent then the real owner could be taken on a 'duty of care' issue because they could be reasonably expected to know what is going on under their roof.
I dont think the police would push it this far BUT they could. A lot of the public are not ready for coffee shops yet and legaly the country isnt ready for them either so I do think the police will make some efforts to shut these places down.
we are closer now to achieving a life long goal ...a simple one not ...
class c is a beeeg victory for common sense but ...that now has to be broken down if you REARLY WANT IT FULLY LEhlised.
onward christiasn soldiersd marching off to war ...with the leaf of .....yeah we heard it all before ...
If one area cracks down and another is light then there is a possible case for the government to answer at the EU court. That would be fun to see.
the smoking club ...premisses are proving hard to rent but ...there are a couple of people who are maybe's ...they want to see an anouncement in january that class c realy has happened ...it was supoosed to happen last july remember but the government backed down.
when it does become class c it will be up there with stroids. gyms do not get raided and closed down cos of steroid abuse or propperty confiscated but we'll have to see. either way the powers of the police and the courts will be greatly diminished.
The point is, not whether the police will still have the powers to stop it, they will, but whether they will actualy take the time, money and effort to do so.
I will be curious to see whether they actualy do make the change in Jan, I'm thinking they wont, but, well they cant put it off forever.
they bottled out in july!
Our tight relationship with the US (for better or worse) and with the rest of the EU means that we cant push too far with reform unless they do. There is also the UN convention on Narcotics to worry about which as far as I know the swiss didnt sign up too, although I might be wrong on that one.
As international treaties always come above national law us changing the law here would actualy make no legal difference if this UN law was still in place.