By Paul Kelso, The Guardian Source: Guardian Unlimited Police seized cannabis with a street value of £50,000 yesterday from a health food shop openly selling it. Tony's Hemp Corner in King's Cross, London, which has sold cannabis for medical use to more than 250 people with multiple sclerosis, cancer and Aids for several years, was raided by officers from Islington police station. Around 40 plants and cannabis resin were seized. The proprieter, Tony Taylor, was taken to the station for questioning. Chris Sanders, who saw the raid, described it as "friendly and relaxed". "The police didn't come busting their way in or anything, it was very softly softly," he said. "The health food shop downstairs was still open." Mr Sanders, a member of the Cannabis Coalition, added: "The police will find plenty of evidence of possession with intent to supply because Tony was completely open about what he was doing. If he is charged it will be a very important test of the courts' resolve to prosecute people sup plying cannabis on humane grounds." Mr Taylor's customers have to fill in a form, undergo a 20-minute interview and provide him with a doctor's letter. Last Saturday, Mr Taylor told the Guardian that his trade was tolerated by local authorities; in King's Cross, police had the sex and cocaine trades to worry about, he said. Source: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK) Author: Paul Kelso, The Guardian Published: Friday, June 22, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Guardian Newspapers Limited Contact: letters@guardian.co.uk Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/ Related Articles & Web Sites: Special Report: Drugs in Britain http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs Tony's Hemp Corner http://www.tonyshempcorner.co.uk/clin.htm
