STRESS SENDS UNION UK WOMEN POTTY

LONDON - Female members of Britain's biggest trade union have added their voices to calls for the legalisation 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 decriminalisation 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."