WARSAW, Poland - The leader of a new left-wing party in Poland threatened to light up a marijuana in Parliament yesterday - but just burned incense instead.
Janusz Palikot is campaigning to get soft drugs legalized and to liberalize the conservative country.
“We’re trying to get into room 143 to burn some grass, in accordance with our announcement,’’ Palikot told reporters in a news conference held in his Parliament office.
Palikot’s plan, however, put him on a collision course with the speaker, Ewa Kopacz, who vowed not to let him break the law in Parliament.
She reported him to prosecutors, and in the end, Palikot simply lit incense sticks containing a tiny amount of cannabis. They emitted a scent of burning marijuana, but Palikot said they were purchased legally in a shop.
Palikot is introducing a draft law that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
His proposal has little chance of passing. His party, Palikot’s Movement, won 10 percent of votes in October elections, becoming the third largest party in the lower house of the Parliament, the Sejm, but still lacking the votes needed to change laws.
The largest party, the center-right Civic Platform of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, opposes the legalization of drugs.
Palikot’s party has also vowed to support gay rights.
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