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NEWS RELEASE
Date:        17 December 2001
Contact:    Andrew Cutting
Tel:          07941 904523

MEP ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF CANNABIS

A North West Euro-MP has been arrested and charged with possession of
cannabis in a protest aimed at supporting the imprisoned owner of Britain's
first Dutch-style ‘coffee shop’.

Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies was arrested at a Stockport police station
on Saturday morning for possession of a tiny quantity of cannabis resin on a
postage stamp. He was subsequently charged, and will appear in court this
coming Thursday (20th December).

The MEP was aiming to draw attention to the experience of his constituent,
Mr Colin Davies (no relation), founder of the 'Dutch Experience' coffee shop
in Stockport.  Colin Davies, who admits to helping people with medical
problems obtain the drug to relieve pain, is currently in Strangeways prison
on remand while awaiting trial on cannabis-related charges.  He has been
repeatedly denied bail despite never having being convicted of a
drugs-related offence. (NOTE: REPORTING RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN LIFTED).

Similar 'coffee shops' in The Netherlands have been permitted for nearly 20
years.  They are said to have contributed to a fall in the use of 'hard'
drugs in that country, which in any case is much less than in Britain.

MEP Chris Davies has never smoked or used illegal drugs, but he believes
that the law is in urgent need of reform.

Following his arrest, the Liberal Democrat said: “I am glad to have added
myself to the dozens of people who have already been arrested in protests
aimed to demonstrate their support for Colin Davies.

“The legal priorities are wrong.  Last year nearly 800 young people in
Britain died of alcohol-induced cirrhosis of the liver.  Not one person died
from the health effects of cannabis, yet some 50,000 people were arrested
for possession of the drug.  It is not surprising that many police officers
admit that they have better things to do with their time than arrest people
for a supposed offence which causes no harm to anyone else.

“This is an untenable situation. I fully endorse the comments made recently
by the Chief Constable of North Wales Police, Richard Brunstrom, calling for
a comprehensive review of our drug laws  and describing the Home Secretary’s
approach as ‘timid’.”

A statement from Greater Manchester Police accused the MEP of wasting police
time, but officers at Stockport Police Station told Mr Davies that they were
having a quiet morning and that it made a change to be thanked by someone
they had just arrested.