Polish MP 'lights up' for legal marijuanaWARSAW — Janusz Palikot, the leader of a new party which brought in Poland's first trans-gender and openly gay MPs, launched a drive Friday to legalise marijuana by smoking pot in parliament.
"This is the weed," he told reporters in his office in the lower house of parliament, lighting up a large incense joint containing what he said was a legal quantity of marijuana.
Palikot said his party had submitted a bill to legalise marijuana.
Earlier on Friday, the philosophy graduate known for his flamboyant political stunts, caused a stir when he announced he would "light up" in parliament.
"I want to condemn the hypocrisy concerning marijuana consumption," Palikot told reporters. "Someone said they would smoke a joint in parliament and the reaction was tantamount to someone announcing a coup d'etat."
In April, Polish lawmakers voted to soften their country's strict anti-drug laws by giving prosecutors the option not to charge people detained with small quantities of illegal narcotics.
But complaining the measures give prosecutors too much discretion, Palikot is seeking the full legalisation of marijuana.
2012-01-20
AFP: Polish MP 'lights up' for legal marijuana
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