[moe.ron]

Pot: A Women's Issue?
LONDON (Reuters) - Female members of Britain's biggest trade union have added their voices to calls for the legalization of cannabis, but they have an unusual argument -- the drug offers women a calorie-free way to relax.

Women members of Unison's eastern region say the decriminalization of cannabis is a ``women's issue'' because it presents a healthier and less fattening way to chill out.

``Cannabis can be used for women to relax and de-stress without calories, in contrast to alcohol or chocolate,'' the women will argue in a motion to the union's 9,000-strong women's conference in Cardiff next month.

Women lead ``amazingly stressful lives... with many different roles, jobs and multi-tasking. It is important that women can relax and escape the stresses of life.''

The group even have a proposal for those who do not smoke: ''Non-smokers can use cannabis by incorporating it into recipes and cooking with it.'' Though presumably not in a chocolate cake.

A spokesman for Unison dismissed the motion on Tuesday, saying it was unlikely to be passed.

``Of course it is up to the members,'' she said. ``But it is not exactly one of the more serious items on the agenda. It is tongue-in-cheek, so to speak.''