Party Vibe

IT USED to be the home of the so-called ‘softly-softly’ approach to cannabis possession and for many it’s the natural place for a festival calling for the drug to be legalised. For six years, thousands of revellers descended on Lambeth to back the campaign. CLARE CASEY finds out why the event has been banned

LOVE it or hate it, it was an established fixture in the cultural calender.

In less than a decade the annual Cannabis March and Festival in Lambeth became better known than the borough’s country show.

But not any more. Lambeth council this week announced it would not let the event’s organisers hold the festival at Brockwell Park in Herne Hill.

The authority has banned what would have been the seventh festival, alleging drug dealing took place in the Victorian park at last year’s bash. The move has angered organisers who claim the decision was taken for political reasons. Thousands of people marched annually from Kennington to Brockwell Park for the festival in support of a global call to legalise cannabis. Similar events take place around the world to mark Cannabis Liberation Day.

But Lambeth’s executive member for environment, Councillor Clare Whelan, said it would be “irresponsible” to let the festival go ahead.

The Conservative councillor told the South London Press: “Residents and council officers who went to last year’s event were offered drugs by dealers.

“It is against the law to sell drugs and I was horrified to discover families – not just one or two but a substantial number – had been approached by dealers. Brockwell Park is council land and it is up to us to take a stand.

“We cannot condone letting an event go ahead where drug dealers operate, because that would be completely irresponsible.

“I absolutely support liberty of speech and people campaigning for a change in the law but this is a different thing altogether.

“Lambeth has had a reputation for turning a blind eye to cannabis smoking but we must remember it is still illegal.”

This so-called “softly-softly” approach was undertaken in 2001 when Lambeth police pioneered a lenient approach to cannabis possession in which people caught with small amounts of the drug were cautioned rather than arrested. This is no longer the case.

Festival organiser and Green Party drugs spokesman Shane Collins claims the Liberal Democrat and Conservative-run council axed the event because of Cllr Whelan’s political persuasion, an allegation Cllr Whelan denies.

Mr Collins said: “The council is making itself look foolish.

“Cllr Whelan is a Tory and that’s why she doesn’t want it to go ahead.

“I would be interested to see a list of all these residents who complained to her officers – I suspect it’s very short.

“On the one hand the council bleats on about a sense of community and says it is really important to provide events for the people of Lambeth, but then they stop us doing just that.

“Thousands of people look forward to this free festival every year and to pull it with no explanation is a disgrace. It’s a safe event which is all about people having fun.

“By stopping it they have made themselves look extremely stupid yet again.”

The festival might be banned but Mr Collins said the march to the park, via Brixton, would go ahead as planned on Saturday, May 7.

On the same day similar protests calling for the legalisation of cannabis will take place around the world.

Residents neighbouring the park had mixed views about the festival ban.

Simon Cobban, of Dulwich Road, Herne Hill, was disappointed.

He said: “I have never seen any trouble and it’s a good festival. It’s not only the march but there’s good food and it’s a fun day out.

“It tends to attract the ‘dogs on strings-type’ but my only complaint is there are a lot of camper vans that park on this road for the couple of days surrounding the event.”

A pensioner in Norwood Road, who asked not to be named, said: “I’m sure the council has stopped it with good reason.

“Sometimes the music is a bit loud – but not as bad as the megaphones you hear when the Lambeth Show is on.

“Those young ones don’t cause any trouble but they leave a lot of litter.”

Staff at Tanley’s Irish bar in Dulwich Road said the ban would be bad for business and the community.

Full-time bar worker Evelyn McDonagh said: “I always choose to work when the cannabis festival is on because it’s such a fun day.

“You get loads of people popping in for a couple of pints and it’s a good atmosphere.

“I think it’s a shame for everyone that it’s not going ahead.”