Euro MP jailed in cannabis battle

Saturday, March 22, 2003

by Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News

AN Italian Euro MP was today behind bars in Manchester for refusing to pay a fine for possessing cannabis.

Marco Cappato, 31, was led away in handcuffs from the dock at Stockport court yesterday after magistrates said they had no alternative but to jail him for seven days.

Minutes later he was put in a van and taken to Manchester Prison, formerly Strangeways.

Cappato, from Milan, was arrested in December 2001 along with fellow Euro MP Chris Davies for possession of cannabis.

The two Euro-MPs handed themselves in to police as part of a protest in support of Stockport cafe owner Colin Davies.

A judge at Manchester Crown Court later fined Cappato and his fellow Euro MP UKP100 and ordered them to pay substantial court costs, or face seven days in prison.

Mr Davies paid the fine and costs and Cappato later paid his UKP1,335 costs, but refused to pay the fine.

Before being led away in handcuffs by two security men, Cappato - who was dressed in a blue suit and tie - said: "I paid the costs because I do not want to be a burden on the British taxpayer, but there needs to be a change in the law on cannabis.

"So much money is wasted prosecuting people for tiny amounts of cannabis. I went to the police station with a very small amount, not even enough to make one joint, and the effect would have been less then a pint of beer.

"I am not going to pay the fine. For me the choice was clear. The decision of the court was pay the fine or face seven days in prison."

Copyright Manchester Evening News.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 and The Berne Convention on Literary and Artistic Works, Article 10, news clippings are made available without profit for research and educational purposes.

A hotbed of cannabis activism, Washington State is home to many organizations working to bring about rational drug policy. Here are some things to get involved with:

Cannabis Defense Coalition has been very active lately. They focus on courtroom observation and medical marijuana activism.

The ACLU-WA Drug Policy Project created the Marijuana: It's Time for a Conversation campaign, among other things.

Initiative 75, passed in 2003, deprioritized marijuana law enforcement in Seattle. A final report (2mb pdf) on the law was produced by the city.

The November Coalition, based in Colville, is a national reform group and works with prisoners and families.

SpoCannabis is a medical marijuana activist group in Spokane.

King Co. Bar Association Drug Policy Project has done amazing work educating the "suits" about the failure of our prohibition model of drug policy, and the need for a regulatory model of drug policy.

Seattle Hempfest is the third weekend in August on Seattle's waterfront.

Olympia Hempfest is a week after Seattle's big bash.