Page "John Hopkins (political activist)" Paragraph 5

Arrested for a small amount of cannabis Hopkins elected for trial by jury.

In court on June 1, 1967, Hopkins explained that cannabis was harmless and that the law should be changed.

The judge, describing him as " a pest to society ", sentenced Hopkins to nine months in prison for keeping premises for the smoking of cannabis and possession of cannabis.

A " Free Hoppy " movement sprang up and, as one particular consequence, Stephen Abrams began co-ordinating a campaign for the liberalisation of the law on cannabis.

This led to the publication in The Times on July 24 of a full paged advertisement which described the existing law as " immoral in principle and unworkable in practice ", signed by Francis Crick, Graham Greene, doctors, members of Parliament and the Beatles.

Paul McCartney arranged the funding for this advertisement as a tribute to Hoppy, at the instigation of Barry Miles.