City Has history of Cannabis Use

[Herb Fellow]

After hearing about the recent attempts by police to close down the cannabis café in Lancing, one of which involved the use of a tractor (The Argus, November 11), I was shocked to see taxpayers' money wasted on such a huge scale. The stretched resources of the police could have been better used to combat more serious crime. If people want to consume something which may do them harm but which does not cause any lasting damage to the rest of society - as alcohol does - then these smokers should be left alone.

In my opinion, cannabis should be completely legalised or at least decriminalised in the Brighton area and there should be special zones where coffee shops could be set up where both tourists and locals could be allowed to smoke the drug in the open air without fear of arrest or prosecution by the authorities.

I should mention that cannabis production itself is nothing new to the Brighton area. In the 14th century, according to The History And Architecture Of Brighton by Anthony Dale most of the land now occupied by Black Lion Street and Ship Street was known as the Hempshires after the plots which it contained for the production of hemp to make ropes for fishermen. Undoubtedly these plots were also used to grow cannabis which could be smoked too.

Even in the Middle Ages people were well aware of the effects of cannabis ingestion.

It appears that Brighton has a long history of cannabis production. Changing the local bylaws to allow people to smoke cannabis in certain specified areas could raise much-needed revenue, lead to many more tourists visiting the city and relieve the blight of drink-fuelled violence which currently plagues most city centres.

Source: The Argus
Copyright: 2008, The Argus
Contact: William Dartnall, Western Road, Brighton
Website: The Argus - Brighton Hove & Sussex, news, sport, what's on, jobs, cars, homes, Festival & Fringe