Pubdate: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 Source: Evening News (UK) Copyright: Eastern Counties Newspapers Group Ltd,2002 Contact: http://www.norfolk-now.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/141 Author: Richard Saunders Cited: Legalise Cannabis Alliance http://www.lca-uk.org Contact: Newshawk's headline COFFEESHOP IN NORWICH WOUDL BE A SOCIAL ASSET FOR several years I have been reading the comments concerning the use of cannabis. being neither for or against its recreational use, I attended the recent conference of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance. I was surprised to learn that the Dutch government had downgraded soft drugs in 1975 and, although still illegal, the sale and consumption of cannabis is officially tolerated in regulated coffee shops. I feel sure that the opening of a Dutch-style regulated coffee shop in Norwich would be a social asset to many cannabis users. Any suggestions that the shop would attract undesirable behaviour or the problems of night time clubland would, I believe, be totally out of order. Richard Saunders Highland Road Norwich - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom