Billericay: Gorman's pot plan ignites controversy...

Maverick MP Teresa Gorman's call for a reform of cannabis laws has won a mixed reaction from her constituents.

Valerie Mears, 56, of Basildon, said her brother-in-law Tom, 49, suffered from Multiple Sclerosis and was desperate to use cannabis to help treat his condition.

She said: "He has had MS for about eight years and it would be a great relief to him if he could get cannabis on prescription.

"He has to use a wheelchair and cannot walk very well. It has also damaged his eyesight, which is quite limited."

Tom, from Ilford, was a foreman on London Transport before he was struck with the crippling disease in the early 1990s.

However, Mrs Mears, who lives with husband Tony, said she would not support cannabis being allowed in cafes or shops.

She said: "If people wanted to use it privately then that is one thing but this would be in public. It's terrible Mrs Gorman has backed this."

Mrs Mears added, however, that it was frustrating for her brother-in-law to know relief is there from a substance which doesn't cost too much but remains illegal.

Others were not so sure about relaxing current legislation.

Jennifer Lynn, 28, of Basildon, agreed cannabis did have medical benefits but opposed allowing it in public places. She said: "I think it's more serious than smoking."

Vicki Ford, 26, of Hullbridge, was against all drugs. She added: "In shops there can be children with you, so you wouldn't want someone smoking a joint nearby."

Pot-boiler - MP Teresa Gorman's views have caused a stir

Police standing firm

Calls by Tory Teresa Gorman to set up cannabis cafes have failed to gain the support of key police associations.

Mrs Gorman backed trials of hash houses similar to those found in Amsterdam.

She said such places could help cut petty crimes by drug users desperate to fund their habit.

The motion was based on a report by the Police Foundation, a social affairs think-tank, but is not backed by the group itself.

It commissioned an independent inquiry into the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The report calls for cannabis to be demoted from a Class B drug to Class C, and possession of it to no longer be an arrestable offence.

It recognises the Dutch model - of cannabis available through coffee shops - but does not directly call for such a system here.

William Saulsbury, assistant director of the Police Foundation and secretary to the inquiry, said: "I have had no direct contact with any MP on this matter. The foundation does not support the call for cannabis cafes."

A spokesman for the Police Federation - the staff association of 125,000 rank and file police officers - said: "We don't support de-criminalising any drug and don't feel it would solve any problems.

"We are more in favour of deglamourisation. The federation would like to see a multi-pronged approach to the drugs menace, combining better education, better rehabilitation and firm enforcement of the law."

Students say yes

Students in south Essex have given a hearty cheer in support of cannabis bars.

They feel current laws are unrealistic and fail to acknowledge the widespread availability of the drug.

One student, from Basildon, said: "It would certainly relax you during exams, and these laws are crazy as a huge amount of the population is using it.

"It should be like smoking - there should be an age limit set but it should definitely be allowed."

Another student, who asked not to be named, said: "It is very common and easy to find. I don't think the current laws make sense.

He added: "You already get people aged 13 and 14 smoking it, and it seems pointless to say this means it should be illegal.

"It would be excellent for exams and in the summer."

Open them in high street? No, Teresa...

Political figures have denounced Teresa Gorman's calls for cannabis cafes in the UK as "un-Conservative".

Basildon Council Tory leader Malcolm Buckley, said he would "loathe" to see such cafes springing up.

The former Billericay Conservative Association chairman added: "I would certainly have some reservations about having cannabis cafes like they do in Amsterdam.

"When you look at the Conservative party it does tend to reflect conservative values on such issues, and I rather suspect most Conservative voters will not support such proposals."

Mr Buckley said it seemed unlikely such a motion would ever make it through Parliament.

"Such motions may cause a revision of the treatment of offences for particular drugs.

"But I suspect the majority of MPs would be loathe to encourage wider use of any drug, including tobacco and alcohol."

Mr Buckley is also unconvinced that cannabis cafes would solve the problems of drug-related crime.

He said people addicted to hard drugs would still need to commit crimes to fund their habit.

Mrs Gorman today (Friday) refused to comment further on her views.

But neighbouring Labour MP Angela Smith, of Basildon and East Thurrock, said her Tory rival's comments failed to address the problems.

She said: "I am concerned by the suggestion opening cafes will somehow reduce crime. There is no evidence cannabis users are responsible for crime."

Mrs Smith, currently working on new, drug-related legislation for the Home Office, said the evidence showed that people responsible for crimes linked to drugs tended to be using hard ones.

She said efforts must be directed toward users of crack cocaine and heroine if drug-related burglary, mugging and theft were to be tackled successfully.

The motion backed by Mrs Gorman "deplored'' the continuing criminalisation of cannabis.

It demanded doctors be allowed to prescribe the soft drug to people suffering from chronic pain caused by Multiple Sclerosis, Aids and chemotherapy side effects. The change of law - recommended by a House of Lords science select committee - could easily be brought about, according to the early day motion.

In all, 22 Labour, five Liberal Democrat, four Tory MPs, one Scottish National Party, one Plaid Cymru and Martin Bell, an independent, signed it.

High-profile figures including Tony Benn and former Labour minister Frank Field lent their support.

Their motion said a "limited number of doctors" should be allowed to " prescribe cannabis to named patients in the same way millions of prescriptions are dispensed''.

The motion is available to be signed by MPs until November.

They are normally tabled by MPs to allow them to express their views. Very few are debated, let alone reach the stage of becoming legislation.

Cafe owner open to idea

A cafe owner has said he feels the relaxing of cannabis laws would be a step forward - but not in all public places.

Ken Henderson, 37, runs Henderson's patisserie and picnic cafes in Basildon's Eastgate Shopping Centre.

He said: "In no way do I take a soft line on drugs. I can't see it working here because we are in a shopping centre. But in a high street, such as in Leigh, or in cosmopolitan towns and cities, then I can imagine it."

Mr Henderson's two shops form part of the Eastgate centre's food court, selling sandwiches, sweets and hot drinks.

He said: "Mrs Gorman's view has some validity. It is possible we could have cannabis in high street coffee shops, but I don't know how that would go down with the general public."

He admitted some families and older residents might resist change, as the UK is more conservative than countries like Holland.

He said: "Having been to Amsterdam in the 1980s I don't think it is a bad idea. It doesn't seem to have caused much trouble there."

Mr Henderson said he admired Mrs Gorman's courage for speaking out.

He added: "She is in opposition and, perhaps, can afford to say things like this, but some politicians treat it as a no-go area."

Cannabis - the effects

The results of taking cannabis vary from person to person, depending on things like height and weight, mood of the user, expectations, personality, whether it has been taken before, strength of drug, how it is taken and the amount used

A small dose can cause feelings of contentment and happiness; loss of

inhibitions, concentration, balance and co-ordination; laughing more than usual; and red, glazed eyes

Larger doses accentuate all those effects and can also cause feelings of confusion, restlessness, detachment, excitement, panic, anxiety and hallucinations

Smoked on a regular basis it can affect short-term memory, logical thinking, co-ordination and ability to perform complex tasks

Some studies sugggest smoking cannabis can lead to lung cancer, bronchitis and other smoking diseases

Long-term use can affect sex drive and hormone production

Cannabis - pain reliever?

About one per cent of people with Multiple Sclerosis are believed to use cannabis for pain relief - making them criminals.

Many grow their own - which is also against the law.

Anecdotal evidence suggests cannabis brings relief from painful muscle spasms.

The Government has indicated that, if clinical trials on 600 people show there are benefits, its use will be permitted for medical reasons.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.