Cannabis Hemp News

Under the cover of dawn, squads prepare to swoop BROOKE JACOBSON Thursday, 27 May 2004 Most of Dubbo slept as more than 200 police gathered before sunrise yesterday to take part in one of the State's largest drug bust operations. Local police and detectives joined officers from the State Crime Command, NSW gangs squad as well as drug squad officers and dog squad handlers for a briefing at a secret location. Outside, a large contingent of local and national media impatiently stamped their feet against the cold and waited for the orders to move out. The officer in charge of the operation, Detective Superintendent Ken McKay from the gangs squad, and former Orana …

Cannabis kingpin feared murdered By NIGEL HUNT 25may04 A MISSING Ethelton man was a major supplier of cannabis to dealers on the state's West Coast, it has been revealed. Police investigations into the disappearance of Eric Lynch, 45, have discovered he is ranked in the "top handful" of suppliers of hydroponically grown cannabis. Investigators believe Mr Lynch, missing since February 10, made regular drug runs to Port Lincoln. Although locally grown cannabis is freely available in West Coast towns, there is a lucrative market for hydroponically grown cannabis because it is stronger. Port Lincoln CIB Detective Senior Constable George Fenwick said yesterday investig…

Drugs seized in raid May 25 2004 Shepparton News Members from Shepparton's Regional Response Unit assisted Bendigo Police in a major drug operation at the weekend. Twenty-five search warrants were executed in Bendigo and outlying areas, resulting in 26 offenders being charged. Police laid 181 charges, including a number for serious drug offences. Speed tablets, ecstasy tablets, ecstasy powder, prescription drugs including Valium, morphine and Viagra, four cannabis plants and about 85 grams of cannabis were seized from various premises during the raids. The raid was the second in two weeks, both of which have been of similar size. Regional Response Unit Sup…

Potent dope causing problems for Hawke's Bay Hospital 13.05.2004 2.10 pm A particularly potent crop of marijuana has been putting pressure on Hawke's Bay Hospital's psychiatric unit, with unexpected numbers of young men admitted after smoking the drug. Hawke's Bay District Health Board chief executive Chris Clarke told a meeting yesterday the sudden influx of patients was almost entirely due to cannabis use. "Apparently this year's Hawke's Bay crop is particularly potent," he said. The 22-bed mental health unit has a history of overcrowding, with patients in the past often required to sleep on mattresses on the floor. With improved staffing and clinical …

Chubby potheads with lots of rooms 15.05.2004 By DIANA McCURDY Scared of walking in the dark, dedicated to smoking pot, poor and fat? That's the picture of New Zealanders that has emerged from a new Australian book, How Australia Compares, which measures 18 developed democracies against the lucky country. In a series of league tables, authors Rodney Tiffen and Ross Gittins deal the New Zealand ego a savage blow. Among other things, the book reveals New Zealanders are the most likely to fear burglary and the least likely to feel safe walking in the dark. But we do have some justification for our anxiety. New Zealand's crime rate is second highest after Sweden …

Which side is winning war on drugs? By Doug Bandow May 13, 2004 The war on drugs is going badly. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The current and previous presidents of the United States used marijuana. So has presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has admitted to drug use. Radio host Rush Limbaugh, who once beat the drums for jailing white junkies, has been through drug treatment. Some 75,000 Californians now use marijuana under a doctor's care. The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling barring Uncle Sam from punishing doctors who prescribe medical ma…

Nepali Caught With Cannabis A women who hid cannabis worth US $ 1.45 million in the heels of her shoes was arrested as she attempted to shuffle past customs officers at Hong Kong’s international airport. The Nepali woman, who had 9.1 kg of cannabis resin stashed in her footwear and luggage, was apprehended on Friday (May 7) on arrival from Kathmandu after high-tech scanners pinpointed the contraband. She was scheduled to appear before magistrates on Monday on charges of trafficking dangerous drugs. If convicted, the woman faces a possible life prison sentence. The Himalayan Times daily reports. Source

Customs seize £3.5m of cannabis The seized resin has an estimated street value of £3.5m Customs officers have seized cannabis with an estimated street value of £3.5m from a freight lorry entering the UK at Poole ferry port. The vehicle was stopped and searched on Thursday evening after arriving on a ferry from Cherbourg, France. Officers found about 1.3 tonnes of cannabis resin concealed in two commercial air conditioning units. The driver, a 52-year-old UK national living in France, was questioned and later released. Customs spokesman, Bob Gaiger, said: "Poole ferry port should not be seen as a soft touch by smugglers." Inquiries were continuing, he sai…

The Howard Government's drug taskforce is launching a new offensive against marijuana, with a booklet that the taskforce's head says will "tell the truth" and combat the "trivialisation" of the drug's dangers. Australian National Council on Drugs chairman Brian Watters yesterday said a "pro-marijuana lobby" had successfully promoted the idea that cannabis was no more dangerous than alcohol and should be legalised. "I think there has been a really concerted effort in some quarters to trivialise its effects," he said. "The pro-marijuana lobby have done very well. They are very, very active." Major Watters said the booklet would counter these perceptions by bringing t…