Pubdate: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 Source: London Free Press (CN ON) Copyright: 2003 The London Free Press a division of Sun Media Corporation. Contact: http://www.lfpress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/243 Author: Joe Belanger POT SALES ON HOLD FOR LONDON'S HIPPY CAFE The owner of London's first cafe for pot smokers is delaying plans to sell marijuana for medicinal use. "The (London) police just left and they advised me that if I sold pot at the compassion centre, I'd be charged with trafficking," said Michael McDowell, owner of The Hippy Cafe on Oxford Street East. McDowell said yesterday police were polite, but insistent that he would be criminally charged. However, he said he'll explore other options, including an affiliation with another legally operating compassion centre. "I'm hoping another compassion centre will take us under their wing," he said. "It's going to take a bit of time (to get approvals), but I'm not giving up. I'm going to do it and I'm going to do it right to help these people." The Hippy Cafe quietly opened late last month, providing a safe refuge for pot smokers to light up, with a fenced patio. However, McDowell also planned to open a compassion centre Monday to sell marijuana to people who have been legally and medically cleared to smoke it as part of their treatment to ease chronic pain and discomfort. Sufferers of arthritis, glaucoma and AIDS use the substance to alleviate pain and discomfort from drug treatments. The Hippy Cafe is located at the rear of The Plant Doctor at 944 Oxford St. E. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens