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PAMPERED pooches will soon be salivating for a new doggie treat: an upmarket biscuit made from cannabis seed. Tasmanian entrepreneur Ian Rochfort, who has been granted the first licence to use cannabis seed in a food product, will market the Scooby snacks nationally and for export as Hemp Hound Hors d'oeuvres. But dog owners should not expect their pets to develop a fondness for Bob Dylan. The licence issued to Mr Rochfort includes a strict testing regime to ensure the biscuits contain no more than 50mg per kilogram of tetrahydrocannabinols (THC). "So basically, there is no chance your dog will be hallucinating rainbow cats," Mr Rochfort said. The product must a…

Researchers in the United States have found that a cannabis like chemical produced naturally in the brain helps with pain relief. They say the finding may lead to new drugs which can stimulate this natural response. Research has so far concentrated on developing compounds in cannabis itself into medications, but this study shows for the first time that natural marijuana-like chemicals in the brain have a link to pain suppression. The US scientists say their new understanding of how the brain chemical works could lead to drugs with fewer side-effects. Professor Danielle Piomelli, director of the Center for Drug Discovery at the University of California, Irvine, say…

The court victory of a man convicted of possessing cannabis has left "improper" searches by police sniffer dogs at the mercy of judges. Rusty Harris's conviction for possessing the drug was quashed by a District Court judge, James Black, who said his decision should not "unduly threaten social stability". Mr Harris, 55, of Nimbin, was sitting in a cafe in Byron Bay when a police dog put its head under the table and made contact with Mr Harris's groin before sitting down next to him. Mr Harris was convicted of possessing 26 grams of cannabis but appealed on the grounds that the evidence obtained during the search should have been excluded. Mr Harris's lawyer, Steve…

West Australians, especially parents, are being urged to mount a campaign against the State Government's plans to soften cannabis laws. Liberal leader Colin Barnett yesterday released a report by the party's drug strategy spokesman Simon O'Brien which showed similar policies in South Australia had led to growth in organised crime and drug-related home invasions. Mr Barnett said the report, Decriminalisation Of Cannabis: The Wrong Approach, also showed greatly increased availability of cannabis to young people in SA following changes in its laws and minimal impact on freeing up the court system. Making cannabis a "little bit legal" was sending the wrong message to youn…

read on sky news not to long ago that an international lawyer based in london believes that if the war in iraq is found to be illegal, howard bush and blair will all be prosecuted for war crimes :thumbsup on the last page of the story, it said if the war is found to be illegal and howard leaves australia after his term in office is up, he'll be prosecuted sucks to think that it might only happen if he is out of power and out of the country but im sure we could give him a nice retirement holiday if it came down to it on the bright side of things, if the war is found to be illegal, the leaders of the countries who went to war should be held accountable for all…

Chris Griffith, City Hall reporter 18jun05 Courier Mail Lawyer warns of drug dog overuse A LEADING Brisbane lawyer has warned that Queensland risks becoming a totalitarian and criminalised society if drug sniffer dogs are allowed to run amok sniffing people at railway stations, sporting events, pubs, restaurants and on the footpath. Lawyer Terry Fisher said police resources were better spent working quietly to catch major drug dealers than conducting what was essentially a sniffer dog PR exercise designed to make the Government look tough on crime. An irate Irish visitor was humiliatingly searched for 15 minutes after a mistake by a drug-sniffer dog at Toowon…

Well known US Activist living in Canada Renée Bojé, will be deported by US Authorities after Court on Friday, June 17, 2005. Renee's story is posted below: For more information go to the American Medical Association's website at: http://americanmarijuana.org/ This is terrible news for this Community around the Globe !! PLEEEEASE do what you can to help... Write to the Justice Minister in Canada who made this awful decision today... Cotler.I@parl.gc.ca Thank you for us all... Love and a squish, Alison xx The Medical Marijuana Mission www.themarijuanamission.com ********************************************************* In a heartless decision, and un…

It's available at stores across Long Island. It is a known hallucinogen. And it is totally legal—for now. Salvia, a member of the mint family, has, up till now, flown under the radar of law enforcement. But it has just been targeted by the New York State Legislature. The state Senate last week passed a bill proposed by Sen. John Flanagan (R-Smithtown) to create a fine of $500 for selling Salvia. "This is an interim measure to raise awareness of the drug and allow law enforcement and science to continue further study before we engage in full criminalization," Flanagan says. A similar bill pending in the state Assembly would make possession of the herb a crime, but one …