Cannabis Hemp News

Police have seized white powder and cannabis during raids on an army barracks in Adelaide. Military and South Australian police yesterday raided the Woodside barracks, home of the 16th Air Defence Regiment, the Nine Network reported today. Police tested 41 soldiers for illicit drugs during the raids, the network said. Three soldiers were issued with drug diversion notices requiring them to appear before an assessment panel instead of court, it said. SA Police Superintendent Tom Reinets said military and civilian police had been planning the raids for three weeks. "It was aimed at finding out from both our investigations and theirs (military police) what exactly …

The first person detected allegedly trafficking drugs interstate by a random police drug search introduced three months ago at Sydney's domestic airline terminals has appeared in a Sydney court. Chilong Hoang, a Laotian refugee who came to Australia in 1985, was arrested after 13 kilograms of cannabis were allegedly found in his luggage. Suffering from a skin condition caused by chemical agents used in his former war-torn homeland, Mr Hoang usually survives on a fortnightly pension of $300. But yesterday he was brought before Waverley Local Court, charged with supplying a commercial quantity of cannabis and possession of cannabis. Mascot police, whose plain-clothe…

The Victorian Government's peak drug prevention body says heavy cannabis use has become a major concern among young people. A survey of more than 6,000 Victorians between the ages of 16 and 24 found a disturbing trend of heavy cannabis use. Nearly 3 per cent of respondents use the drug daily and up to 5 per cent use it more than once a week. The chairman of the Premiers Drug Prevention Council, Rob Moodie, says heavy use is leading to isolation and depression. "Our levels of cannabis use in Australia are higher than any other English speaking country," he said. Dr Moodie says a new approach is needed. "We just don't seem to be doing very well with it at the mo…

THE maximum penalty for cultivating or trafficking a large commercial quantity of cannabis is life imprisonment. Offenders also can be fined up to $525,000 and have their homes seized. Changes to the law in 2002 introduced the concept of a large commercial quantity, which was set at more than 1000 plants, or 250kg. Anyone caught with more than 100 plants or 25kg of plant material can be charged with cultivation or trafficking of a commercial quantity. The maximum penalty for trafficking or cultivation of a commercial quantity is 25 years' jail. Houses used for growing large commercial quantities are automatically forfeited under the Confiscation Act if they ar…

Western Australia police have charged more than 140 people as part of a state-wide operation targeting drug dealers. Officers working for Operation Python have seized amphetamines, ecstasy, cannabis and heroin during raids on more than 100 homes yesterday and today. Assistant Commissioner Tim Atherton says police also found $34,000 in cash, a Taser stun gun and thousands of dollars worth of stolen property. "A lot of that stolen property is going to mid-level dealers who are exchanging that property for drugs and obviously on-selling it, so they are very significant players and are an issue in terms of the problem of drugs," he said. Author:ABC Date:Thursday, June…

Courier Mail Chris Griffith 20jun05 Club drugs targeted by police dog squads POLICE dogs will soon be sniffing patrons at Queensland's pubs and clubs as part of a new crackdown on users of heroin, cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamines. Police Minister Judy Spence yesterday confirmed she would prepare legislation to widen police powers to allow dogs to sniff patrons at licensed premises in Queensland. The law will allow officers to take dogs into licensed premises without establishing a belief that drugs are on the premises. Dogs would be capable of detecting not only people carrying drugs but also those who had been in recent contact with them because of odours on …

A man who until yesterday was responsible for promoting Rotorua as a tourist destination has been charged over a sophisticated indoor cannabis growing operation. Blair Harvey Graham made a brief appearance in Rotorua District Court yesterday on charges of cultivating cannabis and possessing cannabis for supply. The 34-year-old's court appearance came shortly before he resigned as the conference and incentive manager for Destination Rotorua Tourism Marketing. Graham did not enter pleas to the charges and has been remanded on bail to appear again on April 20. His court appearance follows the discovery by police on Thursday of an underground bunker at a property …

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…