cannabisnews.com: Cannabis Cafe Had Medicinal Aim





Cannabis Cafe Had Medicinal Aim
Posted by CN Staff on September 23, 2002 at 17:31:04 PT
Colin Davies faces six drugs-related charges
Source: BBC News 
A man who opened an Amsterdam-style coffee shop told a court its purpose was to supply cannabis for medicinal purposes. Colin Davies, 44, is charged with a number of drugs offences after opening the Dutch Experience Cafe in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard he was arrested after smoking a joint during a police raid on the shop's opening day. Mr Davies, of Romney Towers, Stockport, is one of five men who deny charges in connection with the cafe. 
I am a caring person. I have put my head on the line for these people -- Colin Davies Mr Davies initially set up a group through which he sold cannabis to about 200 people with illnesses including cancer and multiple sclerosis, he told the court. He said: "I had sort of taken it on to help these people." He said he wanted to stop people having to endanger themselves buying the drug from street dealers. "It brought home to me the dangers these people are going through to help their illnesses. "I wanted this cannabis distributed to the patients to make their life a little bit better. "I am a caring person. I have put my head on the line for these people," Mr Davies said. He told the court that he intended to mirror the "medi-weed" system he saw on a trip to Holland. Mr Davies is facing six charges, including possession of a class B drug with intent to supply. Phillip Rainford, 35, of Market Place, Stockport, Stephen Caveney, 47, of Rishworth Close in Offerton, and Andrew Young, 32, of Reddish Road, Stockport, all face drug-related charges. Robin Wright, 46, of Duncan Road, Longsight, is charged with permitting the cafe to be used for the smoking of cannabis. The trial continues. Source: BBC News (UK Web) Published: Monday, September 23, 2002Copyright: 2002 BBC Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/ Contact: http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point/Related Articles & Web Site:Dutch Experiencehttp://www.dutchexperience.org/ Five on Trial Over Dutch-Style Coffee Shop http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14109.shtmlCannabis Café Boss is Freed http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12876.shtmlCannabis Cafe Man Remanded for Trialhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12182.shtml 
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #2 posted by afterburner on September 25, 2002 at 20:38:40 PT:
History of the Dutch coffeeshops
Posted in Cannabis Culture:History of the Dutch coffeeshops 
by Pete Brady (25 Sept, 2002) Pot activists chronicle the last 30 years in HollandIn North America, the talk is of war and depression.In Haarlem, Holland, at Nol Van Schaik's newly-renovated Willie Wortels coffee shops, the talk is of books, cannabusiness classes, and new types of Dutch hashish.On a warm autumn day, Van Schaik sits in Willie Wortels near the train station, typing chapters for a new book into his laptop.The book, to be titled "The Dutch Experience," will detail the amazing 30 year history of Holland's coffee shop experiment, beginning with the first cannabis retailers who helped revolutionize Dutch law in the early 1970's.Van Schaik's recollections of his ten years of coffee shop pioneer work will be augmented by the vivid memories of cannahero Wernard Bruining, whose Mellow Yellow cannabis shop was the first official shop to open in Holland."Wernard, Henk De Vries, Ben Dronkers, and a few other people started it by selling weed and hash on bikes, boats, and finally, in shops," Van Schaik says. "Because this is the thirty year anniversary, we are having a big celebration that will happen after the Cannabis Cup ends in late November. We are going to have our own weed and hash competition in Holland after the Cup, and it will highlight Haarlem weed and secret growers. We will debut the book then, and also give public praise to Wernard for all he did to start this grand experiment in Holland."The "Dutch Experience" book is being pulled together and co-written by pot-tv star and long-time activist Dick Cowan, whose long-time interest in the Dutch scene led him to propose the book project to Van Schaik and Bruining last summer.Cowan's experience as a writer and editorialist for his marijuananews.com website, as well as his disgust with the contrasting American system, which treats cannabis crimes more harshly than it treats violent crimes, will create a symbiosis with the two Dutchmen, bringing an international, epic perspective to the coffee shop story."Holland is the model for cannabusiness in Europe," Van Schaik says as he discusses his ongoing courses that teach people how to run coffee shops profitably and safely. "The Dutch Experience coffee shop that we opened in England has had some rough times because of stupid police, but if it had been allowed to run like any other business, it would be hugely profitable while at the same time helping UK people to smoke far better weed and hash than they could have gotten anywhere else."Van Schaik sits day after day in his shop, smoking joints that combine "Power Plant" marijuana with the finest "Royal Maroc" golden hashish. He is waiting for a friend of his to uncork tons of biologically-grown Haze marijuana that will be made using the icewater method into the "finest hashish in Europe.""I am glad that Cowan is helping us work this up," he says as a steady line of well-wishes interrupts his frenzied stream of consciousness typing. "Between me and Wernard, we have 40 years experience in this business, 40 years of changing the government policies and showing people that cannabis can be a legit business that is good for communities, consumers, growers, and retailers. When I look back on what we have achieved, I am proud, but it is not for me, it is for the plant, and for the cannabis users, who deserve a good product available in a clean, safe, entertaining environment."Bruining contributes to customer satistfaction by traveling Holland to evaluate coffee shops. He then produces guidebooks that show tourists and Dutch citizens where the best weed and hash are available."No matter how weird the world gets, people want more and more marijuana," Van Schaik says, as clouds of smoke pour out of his nostrils. "From across the Atlantic, where Cowan struggles against the assholes who want to repress the weed, to England and across Europe, this plant is making the world a better place. Sure as hell we need that right now."For information about Van Schaik's cannabusiness workshops or the upcoming Cowan-Van Schaik-Bruining history book, email nol at cannabinol wwwshop.nl. Only serious inquiries welcome: Nol is very busy!!!
 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 23, 2002 at 20:01:15 PT
Day 11of the trial of the DEfenders from x-ile
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14218.shtml#2
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment