Police probe drug festival – over music licence...

CANNABIS festival organisers are being investigated by police – because of concerns about its music licence.

Although the Teesside Cannabis Club’s gathering in Redcar, where alcohol was banned, was billed as the club’s ‘third annual smoke out’, police went along to investigate whether it had the correct licence for playing music.

Club founder and event organiser John Holliday, who uses the nickname Ziggy Mustafa Spliff, said there had been no arrests at the gathering or any of the organisation’s previous events.

He added that the club had been in talks with Cleveland Police for months leading up to the festival. The event is the latest example of

‘Soft stance on cannabis’

the growing soft stance on cannabis use by UK police forces.

Mr Holliday said more than 700 people attended the Canna Camp Fest in Redcar between Friday and Sunday. He said: ‘There were no arrests and no anti-social behaviour. We don’t encourage anyone to break the law.’

He said the club has a good relationship with Cleveland Police.

Mr Holliday added the club was told three days before the event that the correct music licence might not be in place, but he decided not to cancel.

Cleveland Police said it did not receive any complaints about cannabis consumption.

Users of a cannabis enthusiasts website said cannabis smokers in Cleveland will ‘likely be left alone’ by police, who had a ‘relaxed’ approach to prosecution.

A Cleveland Police spokesman said: ‘Had any allegations of [cannabis] offences been made then officers would have dealt with those offences appropriately.’