Police Allege Drug Used In Cigarettes

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30151, 7 June 1963, Page 12

Police Allege Drug Used In Cigarettes

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, June 6.

A special duties constable told the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland today that he went to a flat in Cook street, and smoked cigarettes made of dangerous drugs.

Pleading not guilty to three charges of being in possession of dangerous drugs were Samuel Geoffrey Scholey, aged 29. a machine operator, and Warwick Myers, aged 22. a laboratory technician. Both were represented by Mr L. tV. Brown.

The constable, John Moran, said that when he and another man went to the premises Scholey let them in.

Moran said that' in the flat were 12 men who were smoking thinly-rolled cigarettes which they passed around among themselves. He lit a cigarette and started to smoke it. He recognised immediately that it was made from a dangerous drug. Scholey and Myers were both smoking cigarettes.

Moran said that before he left the premises all those present were under the influence of the drug, or to use their expression, “stoned.” Some of the men were laughing hysterically and could not stop. Others went into trances when music was played.

Moran said he went back again and smoked another cigarette there. “It is supposed to be inhaled as deep as it will go. I pretended to do this, but, in fact, did not inhale at all, so it had no effect on me,” he said.

On this occasion, he said, he saw Scholey and Myers making cigarettes from the drug. Another constable, Jack Philpott, said he searched the flat with other members of the Special Duties Branch. A quantity of drugs was found hidden in various places. A quantity of fibres, seed husks and dust was found on a shelf above a hot-waiter cabinet in one of the rooms in the flat. Myers said he had not seen them before and did not know what they were.

The material seized by the police was identified as marijuana by Donald Frederick Nelson, a Government analyst. Mr L. G. H. Sinclair, S.M.. reserved his decision.