Dopey thieves mistake hemp for cannabis
THIEVES have been stealing industrial hemp in the mistaken belief they have discovered fields of its close relative cannabis.
Police have been investigating widespread thefts of the crop, which is used to produce things like food products, paper, textiles and oil.
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MISTAKEN IDENTITY: Farmer Karl Cass has been targeted by hemp thieves
The Advertiser understands that suspects have been targeting farms across the county.
Karl Cass, manager of a farm near Betchworth, says he has lost half a tonne of hemp in recent weeks.
"They must think they have struck gold walking across a field thinking that it is all cannabis," he said.
"If you didn't know the difference you would think it was cannabis.
"I think people are either stealing it to mix with their own stuff or they are just selling it."
Industrial hemp looks and smells like cannabis, but has low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, which means it does not have significant intoxicating effects.
Dorking farmer Hugh Broom said: "There are various theories. One is that they are just stupid, they get home and smoke it and it doesn't really do much for them.
"The other more sinister theory is that they are going to bag it up and sell it, or mix it with the real stuff.
"It is an issue. It is a fantastic crop, it is related to the more potent form of cannabis but it is different, it has no narcotic effects."
Sergeant David Charlesworth of Surrey Police said: "It is a pointless exercise as no high will be experienced by using the hemp plants.
"The only thing you will be experiencing will be a visit to your local police station with an end result of a possible criminal record.
"You could be looking at a theft or criminal damage charge."
2 Comments
by paxdelta
Sunday, September 18 2011, 2:01PM
“And yes, whomever is thieving this stuff, is depriving a bona fide business from their profits, for what, Hemp with little value as a psychoactive substance, so what, are the thieves going to rip off their customers as well, who may be buying it for relief from pain etc, think nothing of ripping off MS and Cancer sufferers forced to buy from the street, do they.
Hope they get caught and dealt with appropriately, i may be pro Cannabis, but not pro crime, theft is theft, i'm on the side of the owners of these crops of industrial Hemp.
Good luck to the investigating officers!!!
Send any street deals confiscated in the area for analysis, that will zone in on where the stuff is ending up and indicate source and perpetrators of this crime as compounds in the Hemp still in the field will be the same as what the thieves stole, if they are selling it, the difference between proper Cannabis and the Hemp will be obvious in the forensic labs comparing confiscated street deals with a sample from the fields.
PaxDelta http://tinyurl.com/69bvbg7”
by paxdelta
Sunday, September 18 2011, 2:01PM
“Effects of Cannabis are not intoxicating.
Get your facts right, intoxication is a term originally used to describe the effects of Alcohol, which are toxic, Alcohol derives effect from a toxic effect on the brain.
Cannabis is psychostimulant, yes, even the sedative Indica derives that effect from stimulating neurochemicals, not shutting the mind off by toxic unconsciousness like Alcohol does, Cannabis has no toxic effects, whatsoever, the use of describing Cannabis effects as intoxication came from the USA's DEA and various propagandists and has spread to the YK, so much so cannabis users themselves now even describe cannabis effect as intoxicating but intoxication has nothing to do with Cannabis use, DEA officers and propagandists etc which also mention the substance is lethal and kills people with their 'super strong genetically modified super strain skunk' nonsense, all absolute nonsense from people who earn money from victimising Cannabis and can't be bothered to target more dangerous people associated with drugs like Crack Cocaine and Heroin etc.
People should understand, all this comes from favouring the Alcohol industry because so many politicians, etc, have shares in Alcohol companies, political parties receive payments from lobbyists, even in the UK and people believe decades of lies used to prevent people finding out the truth about Cannabis, the fact that it's physically safe and a minority who suffer mental health issues wouold also have ill mental health on Alcohol, some people are SUBSTANCE INTOLERANT and Alcohol puts a great deal more people in psychiatric units/hospitals than all other common used recreational drugs put together, most causes of ill mental health are also socio-economic, stem from family and peer problems etc, Cannabis is used as a scapegoat so politicians don't have to focus so much on improving lives of those whose lives are adversely affected by government policy and cause people to CRAC UP and break down etc, easier to blame the drugs in use than accept local and central government policies are actually causal to people losing it and being driven over the edge.
Our bodies create endocannabinoids, which is why the body takes around 3 weeks to process it out of the body, because it isn't toxic and in fact our bodies derive certain benefits from the Cannabinoids from Cannabis use, is why it is incontrovertibly a medicine for effective treatment of various ailments as much as pain killing and antispasmodic effects.
We certainly do not create Alcohol in our bodies, our bodies identify Alcohol as toxic and can't process it out of the body fast enough, intoxication may also aplly to Heroin use as well because of effects on the Liver etc, but most drugs are not actually toxic to our bodies in use, the same way Alcohol is, and why Alcohol ends up killing thousands every year in the UK alone, more die because of accidents and violence.
So again, get your facts right, Cannabis isn't an intoxicant, nothing toxic about it and that is scientific FACT, or does nonsense propaganda mean more to your online newspaper mean more to you than scientific FACTS.”