Queen 'given cannabis bouquet'

The Queen was touring Manchester when the bouquet was handed over

LONDON, England -- A man campaigning for the legalisation of cannabis has said he handed a bouquet including the drug to Queen Elizabeth on a royal walkabout.

Police say they intend to question the campaigner, who apparently hoodwinked the Queen into accepting the narcotic.

Colin Davies, who alleges he gave the monarch the bouquet when she was visiting Salford in northern England, said: "It was a harmless way of trying to bring to the notice of Her Majesty the ludicrous restrictions on cannabis.

"I was behind a barrier close to the Queen's limo and as she passed I just shouted 'Your Majesty.' She turned round and came up to me with a lovely smile."

Davies, the founder of the Medical Marijuana Co-Operative, offers the drug on a non-profit basis to people with multiple sclerosis, cancer and other serious illnesses.

Davies handed the Queen the yellow blooms, which he says including the cannabis plant, during her whistlestop tour of Greater Manchester with Prince Philip on Thursday.

The Queen was pictured outside the Lowry Arts Centre when she apparently unwittingly took possession of the illegal substance from Davies.

After receiving the bouquet the Queen walked towards the Royal limousine and handed it to an attendant who put it in the back of the car.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen did not bring the bouquet back to London with her.

"It was not on the Royal flight with Her Majesty," said a palace spokeswoman.

Bouquets handed to the Queen during engagements are routinely distributed, via the police, to local hospitals or old people's homes.

Davies, 43, from Stockport, claims he grew the plant himself. "We set up the co-operative to supply sick people who benefit from the therapeutic value of cannabis," he said.

Detective Chief Inspector David Booth, head of Greater Manchester Police special branch said: "There were more important issues for our staff to be concerned with on what was a highly successful day.

"However, arrangements will now be made to speak to Mr Davies about his claims."

Reuters contributed to this report.

British Monarchy

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.