Hard-drug assertions disputed

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33959, 27 September 1975, Page 2

Hard-drug assertions disputed

6V.Z. Press Association) i WELLINGTON, Sept. 26. i. Cannabis smokers are being forced on to hard drugs because the police j are catching the cannabis dealers but not “the hard drug merchants,” a Weli lington drug user says. The police, however, say ‘they have been catching deal- ■ ers in both soft and hard drugs, and that there are other reasons for a present ishorrage of cannabis. They also question whether cannabis smokers would [turn readily to narcotics. A young man said that the (drug squad had “wiped Out” i small-time dealers who i handled cannabis, and so I cannabis smokers could not ; get their normal supply. I “It’s quite a problem, beicause the squad hasn’t wiped lout the big hoys, the ones (handling hard drugs,” he I said.

•Pot is very hard to get now but there is plenty of hard stuff. This Monday I was offered as many ounces of heroin as 1 could afford. It’s easier to get hold of hard stuff than pot. Because of this, pot smokers who need a psychological crutch are turning to hard stuff.”

“It’s not a case of pot leading to hard drugs. It’s a case of people needing something psychologically, and not being able to get hold of harmless pot. “I’d say the drug squad has been after the wrong fish.”

The head of the Wellington regional C. 1.8. (Detective Superintendent S. B. McEwan) said the drug squad had been having “fairly good success” with dealers recently, and not just in soft drugs.

“Dealers in cannabis sell anything they can get their hands on,” he said. They don’t just deal in cannabis.

There were other reasons for the shortage of cannabis. “This is not the harvesting season for local pot, and imported pot is short because of big seizures by police and customs recently," Mr McEwan said.