Cannabis Hemp News

Roadside drug tests delayed By Kenneth Nguyen July 1, 2004 Random drug testing of Victorian motorists, which was scheduled to begin today, has been delayed and may not begin until the end of the year, police said yesterday. It was also revealed that when the testing begins motorists will have to wait about five minutes for their tests to be processed before they are allowed to proceed on their journey. Inspector Martin Boorman of the police traffic and alcohol section said that despite today being the date when testing was to have begun, police were yet to decide on which testing device they would use. "It's simply taken us longer than we expected it to," Mr Boor…

Smoking cannabis could help night vision: study THE GUARDIAN , London Thursday, Jul 08, 2004, We knew it gave people the munchies and made them giggle. Now researchers claim to have found a new property in cannabis -- it helps us see in the dark. Scientists made their discovery after becoming intrigued by Moroccan fishermen, who not only failed to lose their sense of direction after smoking generous amounts of local kif, a mixture of cannabis and tobacco, but seemed to navigate better on dark nights. "They attribute their ability to see to the consumption of kif that they spend entire hours smoking before getting into their barques," one of the research team, dr…

MULLING OVER THE SWAB SQUAD Duff Beer is the brew favoured by Homer Simpson, which he drinks at home on the couch as a fun way of passing time. Curiously, the director of research at the Australian Drug Foundation is a man named Duff - Dr Cameron Duff - who kind of declared this week that drugs, notably party drugs, are the new beer. "Drug use seems to have become a leisure activity in its own right," he said, citing a foundation survey of 380 peppy Melbourne nightclubbers. In short, pillin' and chillin' are now "mainstream". Dr Duff made a careful call for national policy makers to "rethink" their approach to managing the heartland's latest hobby. His comments…

Extra-high cannabis theory goes up in smoke Alan Travis, home affairs editor Saturday June 26, 2004 The Guardian The effective strength of cannabis consumed in Britain has remained stable for the past 30 years, according to a European Union study published today. The research says there is no evidence for claims that most cannabis consumed in Britain and the rest of Europe is now 10 times or more stronger than it was in the 70s. The US drugs "tsar" John Walters and toxicologist John Henry of St Mary's hospital in Paddington, west London, are among those who have warned that the cannabis available now bears little resemblance to that on the market 30 years ago, w…

Police successfully target cannabis operations and organised drug manufacturers National News Release 4:01pm 24 June 2004 A Police commitment to reduce the availability of cannabis in New Zealand has been emphasised with the results from Operation Ella, a successful operation against growers and suppliers, said the Assistant Commissioner for Crime Reduction and Public Safety Peter Marshall. The operation carried out between November 2003 and April 2004 resulted in: • an estimated 115,000 plants recovered or destroyed, along with • 92 kilograms of dry cannabis plant material, with a conservative street value of $500,000 • 619 offenders being apprehended on a rang…

Thu, 24 June 2004 Stephen Berry Challenges Coroner Over Cannabis "Nelson coroner Ian Smith should stick to his job and avoid adding political policy to his workload," said Libertarianz Deputy Stephen Berry today. "The logic behind Mr Smith's support for cannabis prohibition and the irrelevance of his reasons are another flimsy fence limiting personal freedom." Coroner Ian Smith bases his opposition to cannabis legalisation on the many cases he sees of people dying in accidents following cannabis use, in particular a recent car crash in which a Nelson man was killed following alcohol consumption and the smoking of cannabis. Berry points out however that these cases ar…

GW hails trials of cannabis MS treatment GW PHARMACEUTICALS, Britain’s only licensed producer of cannabis for medicinal use, has said one of its drugs has been successful in treating multiple sclerosis as it posted slightly wider half-year losses. The firm said tests had shown Sativex had significantly improved treatment of spasticity, or spasms and stiffness - one of the most common symptoms of MS. It added that trials of the drug on 189 MS sufferers had shown an impact "over and above" that of the patients’ existing treatments. GW said the UK regulatory approval process for Sativex, administered as an oral spray, was making progress as it unveiled net loss…

Cannabis seizure pair refused bail TWO more members of a group of 15 people accused of cultivating 3.2 tonnes of cannabis near Narrabri appeared in Central Local Court in Sydney on Wednesday. Dimitrios Passaris, 45, of a Marrickville address, and 34-year-old Robert Vito Giammaria, of an Earlwood address, applied for bail but their applications were refused. Passaris was refused bail to reappear at Central Local Court on July 15, while Giammaria was remanded in custody until a June 23 appearance. Both stand accused with 13 others over the State's largest haul of dried cannabis at a property on the Jacks Creek Rd at Narrabri in April. The co-accused George Hatsios…