Café sold cannabis to seriously ill, owner claims

A man "put his head on the line" to open an Amsterdam-style coffee shop where seriously ill people could get cannabis to ease their pain, a court was told yesterday.

Colin Davies was charged with a string of drug offences after opening the Dutch Experience café in Stockport, Greater Manchester, last year.

The 44-year-old was arrested after smoking a joint during a police raid on the shop's opening day 12 months ago, Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, heard.

Mr Davies claimed the shop's purpose was to supply cannabis to those who needed the Class B drug for medicinal purposes – an idea he had after visiting coffee shops in Holland. He told the court he had set up a group, the Medical Marijuana Co-operative, through which he sold cannabis to about 200 people with illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, cancer and Aids.

"Patients" were paying about £25 for between 7g and 14g of cannabis, which had an estimated street value of between £70 and £80, he said.

Mr Davies told the court: "I had sort of taken it on to help these people. I wanted this cannabis distributed to the patients to make their life a little bit better. I have put my head on the line for these people."

Police discovered about 90g of cannabis during a search of his home in Stockport, while customs officers at Dover later intercepted parcels addressed to Mr Davies containing 4kg of the drug – worth about £18,000 and including more than 400 pre-rolled joints.

He and four other men involved in the coffee shop have gone on trial charged with drugs offences. All five men deny all the charges.

The trial continues.