Online Cannabis Contamination & Potency Survey

[Guest niall]

Guys it's a legitimate survey. NDARC is a well known AOD research organisation. Surveys like this must meet very strict guidelines to operate.

 

http://notes.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/...urvey%20Consent

 

Approval No (HREC 06240)

 

National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), The University of New South Wales

National Drug Research Institute (NDRI), Curtin University of Technology

 

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION STATEMENT – ONLINE SURVEY

 

An examination of cannabis potency and contamination in Australia

 

You are invited to participate in a study of the potency (strength) and possible contamination of cannabis (e.g. with pesticides) in Australia. We (NDARC, UNSW and NDRI, Curtin University of Technology) hope to learn more about cannabis potency and contamination, as currently there is no good information on this in Australia. You were selected as a possible participant in this study because you are an adult, reside in Australia, and are a recent user, retailer, and/or grower of cannabis.

 

If you decide to participate, we will ask you a series of questions on issues related to the potency and contamination of cannabis, including growing methods, pesticides and other disease or pest control measures used, whether potency has changed over time, and the difference between bush and hydroponic cannabis. You will also be asked questions about your drug use and broad demographic questions. No questions will ask for identifying information such as name, date of birth or initials. Participation is completely voluntary and anonymous. The survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

 

Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be identified with you will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your permission or except as required by law. If you give us your permission by indicating your consent once you have read this document, it is planned that the results will be published in NDARC reports on cannabis potency and contamination. In addition, we plan to publish the results in academic journals, and on the NDARC website. In any publication, information will be provided in such a way that you cannot be identified.

 

The following steps have been taken to ensure confidentiality of online questionnaire responses: (1) data entered into the questionnaire is protected from unauthorised viewing by only being available via a secured link; (2) transmission of the questionnaire to NDARC researchers is encrypted; (3) the incoming transmission is downloaded to the specific secure database and deleted immediately from the server; and (4) decryption of the data needs specific software and local settings unique to NDARC. Data will then be entered into a database, which will be password protected and accessible only by NDARC researchers on the team (Dr Wendy Swift, Mr Peter Gates and Ms Jennifer McLaren).

 

If you prefer, you can download and print the questionnaire from this site and send it into NDARC at the following address:

 

Peter Gates

National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre

University of NSW

Sydney, NSW 2052

 

A third alternative is to be sent a hard copy of the questionnaire with a reply paid envelope to send back to NDARC. To order the questionnaire, please contact Wendy Swift, Jennifer McLaren or Peter Gates (02) 9385 0331.

 

Complaints may be directed to the Ethics Secretariat, The University of New South Wales, SYDNEY 2052 AUSTRALIA (phone (02) 9385 4234, fax (02) 9385 6648, email ethics.sec@unsw.edu.au).

 

Findings from this study will be summarised on the NDARC website, and in NDARC Technical Reports, which will be available by contacting NDARC on (02) 9385 0333.

 

Your decision whether or not to participate will not prejudice your future relations with The University of New South Wales or NDRI, Curtin University of Technology. If you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw your consent and to discontinue participation at any time without prejudice. To withdraw your consent to participate, please call Dr Wendy Swift or Ms Jennifer McLaren on 02 9385 0331, stating the date and time of your interview.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us. If you have any additional questions later, Dr Wendy Swift or Ms Jennifer McLaren can both be contacted through the NDARC Reception and will be happy to answer them.

 

Submission of a completed survey indicates that you have read and understand this information statement, and give your consent to participate in the study. If you agree to participate in this online survey, please go to the survey questionnaire now.

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Hey, I'm happy and glad to be wrong. I always hoped I was..last thing I wanted was to think the cops were on the march against the site. My point was two-fold anyway, one being that I hate surveys, they seem to go into a subject with an objective, then seek to use all the powers of well worded questions to get supporting "evidence". What do they call that? A-Topical research? or is it Topical research? Either way, it doesn't seek to understsand a thing, it seeks to prove a pre-concieved already held notion. The best way to do this, is to get people who would otherwise normally be considered to be opposed to said topic, and "prove" even they see things "our way".

 

So given the way I feel about them, weighed against the potential for a seciurity breach, I made a personal choice it wasn't worth the risk. But that's me, I'm always playing hings on the safe side. i don't even play pokies.

 

I mean why go to all the trouble of a site so tightly defended to protect our identities, if we go around making responses to what could be the cops. I'm not trying to flogg a dead horse, suggesting it is, just why I thought the way I did.

 

And don't forget how they brought heaven's stairway undone. Poeple recieved emails that seemed to be from heaven's stairway (and was because they had ceased his gear), they recieved mail to come pick their seeds up, which seemed to come from the post office (and prob. did).. all so they could get people who were no more than ya avergae cupboard grower. They could have done soem investigating, and found the emails were comming from richard at heaven's stairway, and the mail company was really involved, and just the same, concluded it wasn't the cops.

 

I'm sure each one on his way to pick up their seeds that day were thinking to themselves "it wouldn't be the cops, I'm just not worth it" . As if they'd impose as the post service, and richard at heaven's stairway both at the same time for little ol me?

How many did they bust in that one?

 

Anyway, glad to hear it's not a worry. I wish they had contacted the site first to confer with the admin before they came on and just landed on us like that though. After all, it is a registered domain isn't it? That'd just be plain manners to the owner.

 

cheers

rob

[Jess Stone]

This guys username is suss,considering the penchant for law enforcement around the worlds use of this word TALON in many,many operations including the "you have won something BS catch the crim stings" !

 

Let me pose a Q to you niall,Can the NSW or Fed police apply in a court of law to access to the log files on the servers carrying this "survey" ?

Could Talon be promoting a sting using the Uni without them realising they are being used or worse still in on it?

The cops in NSW set up Pawn shops ,real ones that where used to catch crims in a sting who were fencing stolen goods,obviously it had to be legit so as not to give the game away to early so legit goods pawned had to be accepted.

[pipeman]

no point debating it. a number of us have completed the survey. time will tell if its a sting. personally I plan to reply again to this thread in 6 months time with a big I told ya so.

[Jess Stone]

Hey don't misunderstand me I was just pointing out a few things as were others,I think its safe to do this survey through proxies etc ,but I personally would not do it unless I was sure that my real ISP had NO CHANCE of being on a log file especially if I had a decent size grow op.And FYI if you run through proxies and it drops out of connection your real ISP address will pop up ,through some types of anonymising software and possibly someway some proxies are used gives 2 addresses, one fake one real ,doesn't take to much poking around for law enforcement to find which one is real.If the cops could win an injunction to seize the logs ,they get your ISP address and let me tell you your ISP will squeal on you in a second.

I run an SSH VPN through Putty and this cannot happen if I drop out I'm gone no trace its much safer.

[mull]

Your not seriously suggesting that the cops have set up a fake link at NSW uni, then come on here cleverly disguised as "talon" so as not to rouse suspicion!!! Um yeah i did google operation talon. lot of operation talons dating from the second world war, vietnam war, social security fraud etc. The point being......?

 

This is a survey, and not a very good, one but thats all it is.

 

Hi Freddie. I'm on your side mate, unless you're against cannabis, so 'what's the point' of your caustic reply there?

 

Talon was here on thursday until 259 pm. In that time he could have allayed any and all concerns we've had so far.

His nickname is talon. We can reasonably assume he doesn't have a penchant for mouse bait, yet more for the claws of a predator bird.

 

Glad you googled operation talon and if you need a point, well, each op from all eras was about extraction.

In this case 'talon' desires to extract information. Namely -

"Is cannabis stronger now than in the past? Is anything added into the cannabis that you smoke or grow?"

 

and

 

Will all Ozstoners consider filling out a survey at the NDARC web site?

 

So what motivation can the UNSW have to compile such a survey? What grants will they receive, who pays for the reports, whose got the vested interests, chemical co's, alcohol industry, pharmacuetical industry, political party ??? so many q's.

 

e.g.

Do you reckon a causal link between pesticides and schitozphrenia would be publicized?

How about nutrients, herbicide and pesticides that are currently used on our food crops, do you think they might be reviewed for restriction, or totally banned if a survey provided such a link? Or indeed any negative effects when used on cannabis?

 

If the survey proves that potency is nothing more than quantity of quality, rather than more potent strains, do you think this will help australian cannabis prohibition repeal, even in the slightest?

 

We have mountains of research today that's in our favour and nothing changes.

 

If it smells like fertilizer, often it is!

 

Good luck to all who've participated. If you haven't, think closely about it before you participate.

 

p.s. great example using HS Robbie still got a BCGA strain going, shes a beaut, ..still

[Frazz]

We ALL should keep in mind that OzStoners is gaining a greater profile in the online cannabis community.

 

Also i cant understand 'talon' because he joined on the 1st Feb. ... this is his 1st and only post.

 

Why would a university researcher not come and interact with the community that he wants to survey .. im sure some derogatory comments would not scare him off ???

 

[Mulcontent]

NDARC also joined my site and posted the same invite to the survey info , they used legit details and gave me an email address etc . They also have posted on my site before for other surveys and nothing has ever happened to anyone I know including myself who would be a logical first target.

If they wanted info on " does marijuana cause paranoia " then this thread would fulfill their needs to no end

 

All the misinformation about weed in Australia is because they have very little to go on , there are no mountains of research and figures , they know fuck all , and they know fuck all about current trends in weed which is why they are asking the pot community ( not just this one ) to help out.

 

Once again I post this info from the site which answers the question most ppl are asking here ..

 

However, Australian cannabis is rarely tested, and we know little about the views of users and others associated with the cannabis market regarding potency/strength. With your help, this survey aims to gain a better understanding of issues relating to potency and the possible presence of contaminants in Australian cannabis.

 

and

 

With the information we gain, we hope to obtain further funding and conduct an analysis of cannabis seizures to measure potency and screen for any contaminants that this study may identify

.

 

The site is owned and run by the University of NSW , it's not the Goverment or the cops. Its no sting just a chance to help out with some correct info and maybe get a whole lot of new facts to deal with i.e the testing for contaminants

I googled talon as well and it was never used for any kind of police drug operation , just an operation to catch burgulars in Victoria and some truckers in the USA , they joined as NDARC on my site btw

 

My reply to NDARC http://potrevolution.com/members/viewtopic.php?t=305

Edited March 17, 2007 by Mulcontent

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Mulcontent, I assume you were just joking

 

If they wanted info on " does marijuana cause paranoia " then this thread would fulfill their needs to no end

, but just to be sure; even the silliest of researchers would deduct the paranoia in this thread isn't caused by smoko, but by prohibiton.

 

As for no mountains of research I beg to differ. I've read quieta bit over the years myself, and I'm not a rersearcher. The lack of knowledge is not for lack of it, it's ofr lack of want.

 

When John Howard took over, the gov advisors on these matters were split inti two. Four on the ayrole. 2 were zero tolerance jerks, 2 were harm minimalisation pros. Howard sacked the two (guessw hich two). What does that say about this governement's desire for ballance?

 

This sacking was what sparked off the letter drop of every house-hold about 6 or 7 years back. those huge colour speads that we got about the gov. cleaning up the drugs in the country.

 

I don't begrudge anyone's playtime, just be careful who you play with is all I have to say.

 

cheers

rob

 

PS. The notion that "I've filled in this survey and nothing's happened really lacks understandingof police intelligence gathering. Amate of mine did two years in nick, they charged him with an extra offence (sale of a pound of hash) a week before he was released. Which was also one week within the time required by law to charge him for that crime.

when his lawyer asked why it tok so long to charge him, it was to protect the information gathering of others involved at the time of sale (2 years prior), as the investigation was STILL ONGOING.

 

To say that the people of interest on these sites woud be adminis one I used to hold, and to some extent is right. but the odds of admin having a commercial garden going at the moment is a bit far fetched.

It'd be far more intelligent to be able to have a continual extraction of information from these sites that could be used by clever anaylasis, busting those they could with no apparent blow back to the site.

 

I am not saying this is what's happening. I am saying that to think they'd come in with "badge and gun" and bust everyone at once is not understanding how cops do their work. Cops can be impossibly patient.

Again, I am not saying this is a cop trap, simply that this has opened up an interesting examination of how people view these matters. I am saying the attitude I see towards such matters seems to be complacent of reality is all.

 

IF cops wanted to bust a site, they're simply faced with one of two ways to go about it. Full on, warrants out, and catch who they can on the day. Given the grows displayed onm these sites could be years old at the time the warants are gained gives us great rotection from such attempts.

The alternative is to be clever. And how "clever" woul dbe an operation that when looked into superficially led back to "sgt stedanko"? People take cops as fools, but don't give them such a latitude.

 

Anyway, ya prob right, it's prob just a survey to make some connection they aready have sought to make. Not being the gov, nor the cops leaves it open to indepandant investors, the likes of which have in the past proven ciggaretts are not addictive, nor cause cancer. that marijauna is a gateway drug, and that espestos is not dangerous etc etc etc..

 

Honest open replies would only change things in an open and honest world.

 

good luck all.

 

rob

[Frazz]

Thanks Mul .. its a pity they couldnt spare the time to come and talk with us from the begining

 

as for the lack of information available , for starters the DEA compiles a yearly report on illegal drugs in Aust.

there was even a Royal commision into cannabis use in Aust. and they still dont know anything ??? .. nothing has changed