Cannabis activists smoke up London

LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - Thousands of advocates for the legalisation of
cannabis paraded through London on Saturday carrying giant models of
"spliffs" and "buds," and openly smoking "the weed" as police turned a blind
eye.

The London Cannabis March and Festival came a day after London's police
force, Britain's biggest, said it was telling officers to take a more relaxed
attitude to possession of marijuana.

"Have a laugh and free the weed," chanted Peter Matthews as he danced down
Kennington Park Road, spliff in hand, followed by several thousand others who
left police and passersby in a cloud of smoke.

Superintendent Michael Wood kept in touch with an overhead police helicopter
as a marcher rolled a joint beside him.

"We're using a policy of making the stewards advise marchers against
persistent and open use of drugs and when that is disregarded the officers
can make arrests," said Wood, adding that there had been no arrests so far.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is firmly opposed to legalising cannabis on
that grounds that its sales are linked to organised crime.

Police forces around Britain say they struggle to enforce little-respected
cannabis laws. Britain is believed to have the highest rate of marijuana use
in Europe, higher even than the Netherlands, which has a tolerance policy.

Home Office figures for 2000 showed the number of people convicted for
possessing cannabis in Britain had more than doubled in the previous six
years to over 40,000 a year.

"We're here to celebrate all aspects of the Cannabis plant and protest about
the ridiculous prohibition of it," said festival organiser Andy Cornwell, who
welcomed the Metropolitan Police's pilot scheme for cannabis.

Under the scheme, to be operated in Lambeth in south London, offenders caught
with cannabis will have it confiscated but be given a verbal warning rather
than face an official caution or arrest.