Cannabis Hemp News

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…

Greens back pedal on drugs policy The Australian Greens have backpedalled on their policy to decriminalise all types of drugs. Greens policy documents on the party's website state that illegal drugs should be decriminalised and regulated to improve health and well-being. When questioned about the policy on the Nine Network's Sunday program, Greens senator Bob Brown said despite criminalisation of drugs having failed tough controls were needed on those who peddled drugs. "As far as I'm concerned where criminals are involved in peddling drugs they should go to jail," Senator Brown said. Senator Brown, a qualified GP, also said he did not believe drugs should be pr…

THE LIBERALS' BILL TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA WAS BAD POLICY AND DESERVES TO DIE ON THE ORDER PAPER. Barring unforeseen plot twists, a federal election will soon be called and a bill decriminalizing marijuana will go up in flames. As a supporter of marijuana reform, I say, goodbye and good riddance. Decriminalization was not only bad public policy, the bill's production and presentation were deceptive, even fraudulent -- as demonstrated by documents obtained under the Access to Information Act. From the beginning, Martin Cauchon, the justice minister who promoted decriminalization, promised an open discussion, a theme repeated by the throne speech of Sept. 30, …

Marijuana briefing for select committee 13.05.2004 Experts and officials from Government-sanctioned medical marijuana programmes in the Netherlands, Canada and the United States will visit New Zealand this month. Governments around the world have begun legalising the use of marijuana by patients with chronic pain and other forms of suffering. A parliamentary health select committee has recommended New Zealand consider making cannabis-based medicines available to suffering patients, and the Drug Policy Forum Trust has invited the overseas experts to brief it on their programmes. Source.

Pot bill goes ashes to ashes Janice Tibbetts CanWest News Service Friday, May 14, 2004 OTTAWA -- A bill to decriminalize marijuana has gone up in smoke, failing for the second time in six months and prompting criticism that the Martin government deliberately killed the proposal. "As we speak, it doesn't look too good," Mario Lague, a spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office, said as the House of Commons wrapped up its last voting day before an anticipated election call this month. Critics contend the Liberals lacked the political will to pass the controversial legislation proposing to decriminalize possession of less than 15 grams of pot, making it …

REFUGEES PLANT NEW AND RISKY CASH CROP Marijuana Found Among Tomatoes FRESNO, Calif. - On the edge of suburbia, the magnificent gardens of Southeast Asian refugees rise and fall. On leased ground no bigger than five or 10 acres - small potatoes to the giant industrial growers - the refugees plant their own long-shot dreams: Chinese bitter melon, Chinese broccoli, Thai chili, ong choy, su choy, daikon and kohlrabi. The best strawberries in the San Joaquin Valley are grown by a tribe of CIA-trained commandos who fled the highlands of Laos after the Vietnam War. Thai eggplant, slightly spicier than its Armenian cousin, is the specialty of the lowland Lao. Th…

Elderly couple fined for cannabis stash 14 May 2004 A biscuit is not always just a biscuit, as Marion Chitty found out when her home cooking landed her in court on drug charges this week, along with her partner who grew the special ingredient. But it was the age of the offenders – not their crime – that surprised New Plymouth police. Chitty is 67 years old, and her partner Ronald John Henry Stratford is 56. They were caught with 6kg of cannabis, some of which was frozen and stored in a deep freeze. Drug squad boss Detective Sergeant Greg Gray said two of the local police's biggest cannabis seizures recently had involved elderly people. "It's not the …

LONDON (AFP) - The launch in Britain of a home drug-testing kit next week has led experts to caution against the over-the-counter product which, they say, will lead to parents spying on, and confronting, their children rather than offering discussion and support. The Six-Drug MultiTest, manufactured by the Irish firm Hunter Diagnostics, can detect the presence of six drugs in urine, including cannabis, heroin, cocaine and ectasy. It will cost just over 12 pounds (18 euros, 21 dollars) and some 11,000 units have already been sold in Ireland over the past year -- 50 percent of them to parents, with police, hospitals and school among the other buyers. "Obviously a child's…

More evidence is required to associate cannabis use with negative psychosocial effects Posted By: News-Medical in Medical Research News Published: Friday, 14-May-2004 University of Birmingham researchers conclude that more evidence is required to determine the nature and extent of associating cannabis use with negative psychosocial effects. Their systematic review of research in this area was commissioned by the Department of Health and is published in this week's issue of The Lancet. The use of cannabis and other illicit drugs by young people is linked to psychosocial harm including psychological health problems, the use of other illegal drugs, reduced educational…

A 23-year-old man is assisting police with their inquiries after the discovery of more than $2 million worth of cannabis in the north-west of New South Wales. Police say they have discovered 1,200 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of $2.4 million. Vanessa Allen-Erickson, from the New South Wales Police media unit, says police acted on information given to them by the public. "We've got a 23-year-old Sydney man located by police near the site of the plantation," she said. "He's been taken to Walcha police station to assist with inquiries." The cannabis was allegedly found at the Werrikimbe National Park, which is located about 85 kilometres east of …

Media Alert 7th May 2004 Darwin City Council election candidates declare war on Drug Prohibition Three members of the Darwin based Network Against Prohibition have been nominated to stand for positions in the Darwin City Council election to be held on the 29th of May. Stuart Highway, long term human rights activist, has been nominated for the position of Lord Mayor. Robert Inder-Smith, journalist and civil liberties campaigner will stand in the Chan Ward and Gary Meyerhoff, youth worker, injecting drug user and co-founder of the Network Against Prohibition will contest the Lyons Ward. All three NAP activists face between 15 and 21 months jail for their role in…