Three arrested at Scotland’s first cannabis café
The arrest of the two men and a woman for possession of cannabis at the Purple Haze Café coincided with the reclassification of the drug, from Class B to Class C, which came into force today.
Allegedly, Paul Stewart, the owner of the café in Leith, Edinburgh, was one of the three arrested.
A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “Three people have been arrested and charged with possession of drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act”.
He added: “Two people were seen using drugs within the premises”.
The spokesman said the men, aged 43 and 37, and the 35-year-old woman would be made the subject of a report to the procurator fiscal.
The police spokesman said officers had been maintaining a presence outside the café and had warned customers they could be arrested if seen with any illegal substances.
The cannabis café, a former “greasy spoon”, launched as a private members club yesterday afternoon. The initiative means people will be able to come in and use the soft drug.
Backed by the Scottish Cannabis Coffeeshop Movement (SCCM), the plan aims to highlight what campaigners cite as a confusing legal situation surrounding the drug.
Yesterday’s high-profile launch at the café was attended by Scottish Socialist MSPs Tommy Sheridan and Rosemary Byrne.
But police warned that despite the downgrading, the drug remained illegal.
