A CANNABIS campaigner who won a high profile court case last week says he may still defy the law and open a "Dutch-style" coffee shop which would provide the drug to medicinal or recreational users.
Jeff Ditchfield, owner of The Beggars Belief in Water Street, Rhyl, insists he has not ruled out setting up a cannabis café.
He spoke to the Visitor following his acquittal at Chester Crown Court where he was found not guilty of possession and intent to supply the drug.
Denbighshire County Council agreed to allow the change of use of The Beggars Belief from a retail shop to a café in October of last year, but only confirmed its decision last week.
Mr Ditchfield, who has been campaigning for the medicinal use of cannabis for two years, said he would consider all his options before opening a café.
"When I was acquitted I received a phone call from my catering department telling me Denbighshire had granted the change of use.
"There was a notice outside our shop for over six weeks and the authority only received one objection to our application from North Wales Police and none from the public.
"I've not ruled out opening a Dutch-style café but am considering all my options. If I do decide to go ahead it would take months to set up rather than weeks.
"Medicinal users are my main priority and not recreational ones, but if the government allows cannabis medicines to be available for medicinal users from March I would consider opening a café for recreational users.
"However, if this was not the case then I would target the café towards the disabled and ill.
"It all depends what happens in the future, but in the meantime I will continue to run The Beggars Belief as a retail shop."
The government will downgrade cannabis from a Class B to Class C drug next Thursday (January 29).
Dutch-style cannabis coffee shops will still be against the law in the UK, as will supplying, possession and consumption of cannabis but possession offences will carry less severe penalties.
