I'D SELL CANNABIS, SAYS BRANSON

He said his company would not want to get involved in selling ordinary cigarettes - but he would not rule out promoting cannabis if the law allowed it because it was probably less harmful than tobacco.

The millionaire businessman said that to encourage youngsters to smoke would be 'immoral'.  But although he was not advocating the sale of cannabis if it was legalised, he added: "If a cigarette company started selling it at too high a price, I'm sure we'd be in there."

Last year Branson was among 100 prominent people who signed a public declaration in favour of the decriminilisation of cannabis.  They also included former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, public relations guru Max Clifford, author Martin Amis and veteran playwright Harold Pinter.

Branson, whose commercial activities range from air travel to condoms, was speaking on the importance of product brands on 'The Money Programme' on BBC2 last night.

Asked about cannabis, he said: "I personally think it should be legalised.  I think it's wrong that 100,000 young people have criminal records every year for doing something which is no worse than their parents are doing every night - drinking alcohol."