Pubdate:  Thu, 21 Aug 1997

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Reuter)  Ethiopian police said  Thursday they
arrested 12 monks for growing and selling cannabis for the last 14 years, the
staterun Ethiopian News Agency reported. 

It said the monks admitted they grew cannabis at monasteries in the Ethiopian
Orthodox Church stronghold of Gojjam in the northern region of Amharar and
had been selling it. The 12 were remanded in jail until police investigations
were completed.