PRO cannabis campaigners staged a peaceful protest on Warrington town hall lawn, openly smoking the drug, following the council’s controversial drugs awareness campaign “It’s Not Just a Joint,” which suggested cannabis was stronger than heroin.
Around 20-30 protestors staged a sit down protest, many suffering from illnesses and conditions such a arthritis, which they claimed benefited from the use of cannabis.
A spokesperson for the Merseyside Cannabis Supporters Group, who were among the many who bombarded the council’s facebook page, forcing it to close, following the launch of the campaign said: “Whatever statistics the council came up with for their claims that cannabis was stronger than heroin, were clearly flawed.
“The campaign was clearly targeting younger peole who could have been misled into thinking heroin was a safer drug.
“Cannabis has been proven to help people who suffer from various conditions including arthritis and MS.
“The fact that the council has withdrawn the campaign and issued a public apology is too little too late.”
The council campaign had cost £1,500 prior to being withdrawn following a storm of protest and was followed by an apology to anyone who felt they had been misled by the drugs message.
The campaign is currently being reviewed.
The ‘It’s Not Just a Joint’ initiative was launched last week via the council’s own electronic newsletter – “The Wire” and sparked outrage from pro-cannabis campaigners who accused the council of suggesting heroin was a safer alternative to cannabis.
Hundreds of people had commented on the council’s Facebook page forcing the council to close the page.
The council’s class B drug awareness initiative included the comment: “Did you know that cannabis can be stronger than heroin and cannabis related crime is now the most common drug related crime in Warrington?”
The “It’s not just a joint” campaign was due to run throughout July, August and September in Warrington, with adverts on buses and bus shelters in various locations around the town, and promotion via social media.
Peaceful protest from cannabis campaigners
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About Author
Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
17 Comments
must say well done to warrington worldwide for reporting this whole story
Well done guys
I’m a bit puzzled, my understanding is that in the UK, cannabis is an illegal drug, this article states that people were smoking and therefore possessing an illegal drug in a public park, in fact in front of the Town Hall. Why was no action taken against those people who were breaking the law, or was action taken and it hasn’t been reported.
My thoughts exactly. If these junkies can get away with this by calling their little drugs party a “protest”, can I get away with robbing a bank as a protest against top bankers pay?
Would have been a waste of money in my opinion, who were they hurting? I was under the impression that the police had more important things to spend taxpayers money on.
Total ignorance….These people aren’t junkies, some have illnesses in which cannabis makes their whole life better.. Brain washed by propaganda.
still an illegal substance
Yes it is but wrongly so.. Its far less harmful than tobacco or alcohol and heroin for that matter.. It is only prohibited for Government gain.. Research GW Pharma and Sativex. The Government sell’s Cannabis around the world and profits enormously. Also Lobbying from big Tobacco and Alcohol keeps the status quo profiteering from peoples misery. 100,000 people die from smoking cigarettes alone in UK. Count how many die from Cannabis ….zero
It is against human rights to prevent anyone consuming anything that does not harm them or others, if i want to eat 10 loafs of bread a day then i will, if i want to drink alcohol i will, if i want to consume marijuana then i will, no one has the right to oppress my human rights no matter who they are. We live in a society where we are governed by a nazi leadership, who have no education on drugs at all, and your comments prove my point, you are also following the nazi leadership as you are also uneducated, alcohol kills more people a year than all drugs put together, but i bet you drink alcohol don’t you, so again my point has been proven. There is nothing wrong in consuming marijuana as no one has ever died from consuming it, there are no scientific prove that is does you harm either. The government have no reason to prevent or stop anyone from consuming it, apart from the police who will have no rights to search people or there property because of the use of it “smell” and will therefore have less arrests a year which the government would not want as it will make the joe public feel they are not doing there jobs properly as arrest figures will be way down. You should do some real research on matters before you make a comment as some idiots may believe what you are saying, our government and people in our society need to be educated and until that days comes we will live in a world full of idiots like you.
Fact remains that cannabis IS illegal. Consumption and supply of it IS a criminal offence. Disagree and campaign for it’s legalisation if you like, but in the meantime the LAW of the land should be upheld and those who deliberately flout the law must be punished.
You can walk down any high street in the UK and see offences being committed that are ignored,or , at least , not pursued by the authorities.
One example – it is an offence to serve a drink to someone who is intoxicated – every barman and landlord would be in jail if they enforced that one.
So your saying that a cancer patient, disabled person, MS sufferer or a person with diabetes who medicate themselves on a product in which the Government sell’s for profit should be punished by law. That means up to 5 years in prison for WHAT…. Most people break the law everyday when going 32mph in a 30, lets lock em up too eh.
Infact its probably more dangerous doing 32mph in 30 than taking Cannabis
Certainly the combination may not be a good idea 😉 as would be the case with legal/tax-raising alcohol.
When you say that no one has ever died from “consuming” cannabis, I presume you mean from smoking cannabis? in which case how do you know that smoking the cannabis rather than smoking the tobacco wasn’t what killed them? To claim an absolute zero death rate is a pretty hard thing to prove surely?……. I have had a few joints in my youth (just gave me a headache to be honest) and I have a sister who has MS who says it does absolutely nothing for her…. but lets face it; introducing any substance to your body that shouldn’t be there (be it tobacco, beer, dope) is never a good idea anyway
The human body already contains cannabanoids ( one of the main chemicals in the cannabis plant ) consuming cannabis is of a benefit to everyones bodys. Just because its “illegal” does not mean its dangerous. Stop listening to propaganda from the government and daily newspapers… cannabis is safer than legal drug, be it booze, paracetamol or fags!
Does the fact that no arrests were made not speak volumes to you people? The police know that these people aren’t harming anyone, so dont make any arrests. Wasting their own time and tax payers money. I really do wonder what the likes of “inky pete” are thinking? Would you rather your money was spent on arresting these people in a park having a smoke, harming nobody…. or would you prefer the police to be on call for lets say an assault or maybe domestic violence? I really do wonder sometimes.
Just because the law is there doesnt make it right, do you think homosexuality is a crime? Because you know right… that was agaisnt the law at one time? Was that law correct?
Like the cannabis arguement, people that support it being illegal are going to feel a bit stupid when it does become legal, much in the same way the anti-gay crowd do now 🙂
Peace, Love and Herb