WAR ON CANNABIS CONTINUES

Police dressed in camouflage and armed with machetes and dogs took
3374 cannabis plants from the Northern Rivers area last week.
According to police calculations that's $7.5 million worth of
marijuana. (About $2200 per plant.)

Strike Force Hyperion, using the drug squad's Cannabis Team, with
assistance from the NSW Police Air Wing, Police Dog Unit, Radio
Electronics Unit and officers from Richmond Local Area Command,
raided 60 cannabis plots in Kippenduff, Rappville, Clearfield, Busby
Flat, Mummulgum, Bulldog, Drake, Nimbin, Blue Knob, Kyogle and Tabulam.

Interestingly, Hyperion was the Greek god of watchfulness and wisdom.

"Illegal cannabis growers choose their growing locations based on the
mistaken belief that police won't find them," Det Acting Supt Patton
said. "However, as we prove with this program every year, we have the
resources to find these crops and put a dent in the cannabis market."

Michael Balderstone from Nimbin's HEMP Embassy has, unsurprisingly,
different views.

"We're all glad the rain interrupted them because the bush pot
they're targetting is the safest of all the recreational drugs,"
Michael said. "It will be replaced in the market place by far more
dangerous substances. There are so many better ways to spend our
public money. Research into the multitude of excellent uses of the
cannabis plant is one of them."

Michael believes the War on Drugs, like most wars, is a failure.

"The helicopter raids are a real reminder that we're in a war," he
said. "The plantation squad look like mercenaries with their machetes
and camouflage gear. They're treating us like terrorists when in fact
for most of the year smoking a joint is seen as no big deal on the North Coast."