Man gives Queen 'cannabis' posy

The Queen toured the Lowry before receiving the posy

A man who claims to have handed a bunch of flowers containing a marijuana plant to the Queen is to be questioned by the police.

Colin Davies, who has campaigned for the drug to be legalised, says he handed over a selection of blooms including the distinctive green leaves during her trip to Manchester with the Duke of Edinburgh on Thursday.

The Queen as she accepted the bouquet

The Queen apparently unwittingly accepted the illegal substance from Mr Davies, 43, outside the Lowry Arts Centre in Trafford, which she had just officially opened.

She then walked with the bouquet towards the Royal limousine and handed it to an attendant who put it in the back of the car - but it did not go back to Buckingham Palace with her.

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

Flowers presented to the Queen during engagements are normally distributed by police to local hospitals or old people's homes.

The location of the cannabis-containing bouquet is unknown.

Colin Davies is a veteran cannabis campaigner

Mr Davies, who lives in Stockport and founded the Medical Marijuana Co-operative, claims he grew the plant himself.

"It was a harmless way of trying to bring to the notice of Her Majesty the ludicrous restrictions on cannabis," he said.

"We set up the co-operative to supply sick people who benefit from the therapeutic value of cannabis."

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."

Close-up of the offending bouquet

The incident comes soon after the debate on cannabis was re-ignited by eight shadow cabinet members admitting they had used it.

Their revelations followed shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe proposing a mandatory £100 fine for possessing even the smallest amount of drugs or having them in the bloodstream.

The proposal was quickly condemned not just by drugs workers and rights groups, but by the police and some Tory Party members.