Police want public to ‘pot’ the marijuana growers

Press, 29 January 1982, Page 13

Police want public to ‘pot’ the marijuana growers

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JOHN DURNING

Cultivating cannabis for the purposes of supplying others carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, yet people continue to grow marijuana in New Zealand, and in ever-increasing numbers.

Last year, more than 7000 plants were seized by the police in Canterbury and the West Coast, whereas this season, between September 9 and January 20, 7667 plants have been recovered in 122 seizures, leading to 94 arrests.

“The number of people growing cannabis is definitely increasing and we- are really only scratching the surface,” said the head of the Christchurch drug squad (Detective Senior Sergeant M. J. Muddiman). “The amount of cannabis we seize mushrooms each year and this does not take into account plants that have been discovered and destroyed by farmers, picnickers, trampers and the like. “We receive excellent tips from the public, but people cultivating the plants go to great lengths to camouflage their plots,” he said. The growing season in Canterbury usually starts in September with the planting of seeds in small pots. These are normally germinated inside or in a glasshouse and are not planted out until December when they are well established.

Plants germinated inside are usually hidden in the roof, a spare room or mixed in with other pot plants to avoid detection, Mr Muddiman said. They are normally grown under artificial light.

Earlier this season the drug squad seized nearly 700 plants hidden in a roof that were ready to be planted out. Marijuana likes warm moist weather with plenty of sunlight. Riverbeds are favoured by growers as locations to plant their crop because the soil is often so moist that the plants do not need to be watered. Plots

established in small clearings in the bush often require watering about once a week. “When cannabis is planted out it requires care and attention. It is usual to find peat pot holders, manure, hose pipe, wire netting and in some cases water pumps in each plot. “The cultivator generally takes his equipment on to the site and leaves it there because of the difficulties of carrying it back and forth. "Clearings made in the bush vary in size from pocket handkerchief plots to others that can be 10 metres by 10 metres. These plots are usually well protected -by wire mesh to stop, animals such as opossums, sheep, cattle and deer eating the plants. “Often the clearings are in such remote places that they can be reached only by fourwheel drive vehicles or jet boats. Growers go to a lot of trouble to avoid detection and the plots are so well concealed that a casual observer on foot is not able to find an opening without considerable investigation,” Mr Muddiman said.

Cannabis is quick growing and already this summer the drug squad has seized plants that are 2 metres tall and by the end of the season plants as big as 4 metres tall could be found.

"Once the plants are fully established and well grown they are difficult to destroy and in many cases axes and chain saws have been used to chop the mature plants down,” he said. Plants seized are disposed of in liaison with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Health Department. Statistical records of all plants are kept.

“There are two types of people who grow cannabis. Those who grow it for their own supply and those who supply others. It is difficult to believe that people who grow more than two or three plants are not doing it for the purpose of supply. “Most large growers have several plots dotted about the countryside rather than one large plantation, and this makes detection difficult,” Mr Muddiman said. * Cannabis leaves can be harvested anytime from now until the middle of April and the first frosts. Once picked, the leaves are dried before selling. $ Mr Muddiman said the growers generally make their own “deals” ranging from a few grams to half a kilogram. Recent arrests have involved seizures of 500 gram lots with a market value of $750 each. Smaller amounts are usually sold in tin foil “bullets” which are worth between $lO and $l5 and will make six cigarettes on average. “Cannabis seems to be available most of the time, and there is plenty around at present. “Over the last five years there has been a substantial increase in cannabis cultivation in this country. In fact, it seems to be a world trend. More marijuana is being grown here in Canterbury, and the Australian police report huge seizures this summer as well. “It is used by people across the board, but the distressing aspect is the growing number of reports of younger people trying it. It is hoped more people will read about the harmful' effects of cannabis before they think about trying it,” Mr Muddiman said.