Crews from indymedia and CNN will be a part of the media scrum heading for the south coast this weekend to report on a picnic in support of cannabis legalisation.

Hampshire Police have issued statements saying they will "come down hard on dope smokers" at this Sunday's Smokey Bears Picnic in Portsmouth.

Despite concerted Police efforts over the years, the Smokey Bears have remained elusive yet effective. The seaside town has been dotted with stickers advertising the event. Even a major intersection into Portsmouth now hosts a grafiitted advertisement for the Picnic in 5 foot high red lettering. This will be the eighth year they have organised this unlicensed event adjacent to the sea front on Southsea Common.

Undercurrents has met local campaigners calling for a change in the law. They believe the debate surrounding the legalisation of cannabis has already been won; the talk now should be about how to put this into effect.

Local police however are sticking to the letter of the law. In recent years a zero tolerance approach has seen sniffer dogs, attempts at mass arrests and scuffles when they targeted notorious cannabis smuggler Howard Marks.

By deploying video surveillance teams, plain clothes officers and by their sheer weight of numbers, the police obviously regard the Smokey Bears as public enemy number one.

Last year, after making fun of a police officers' ginger wig, local man Jon Neil was arrested. He was released without charge but not before police had slandered him in details given to local media. This astonishing 'foot and mouth' fiasco resulted in a four figure sum in compensation.

Mr. Neil plans to attend this weekend's event with £100 worth of ice cream and 'munchies' to distribute. He said "I think my arrest last year and the entire police operation was about bullying. But by using part of my compensation in this way some of Hampshire Constabulary's money will be put to more constructive use".

Also set to attend will be Labour councillor Jason Fazackarley, head of the city's public protection committee, who supports a change in the law. He has said that those taking part have every right to demonstrate.

With cannabis topping the political agenda and a majority of people supporting some change in the law it remains to be seen how the tactics of the police will effect numbers attending this years event.

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