Up to 80 per cent of prisoners test positive for hard drug use when they begin their sentences, the Director General of the Prison Service says. Phil Wheatley warned of the extent of addiction to opiates, including heroin, and cocaine among new inmates and remand prisoners in an interview today with The Independent. He said 55 per cent of those entering prison were classified as "problematic" users of illegal drugs, including cannabis, with a further 25 per cent reporting some drug misuse. [continues 190 words]
RAIDS ON crack houses and operations against drug dealers have had a significant impact on crime levels. But law enforcement is not the only method the police are using to reduce drug-related crime, writes THE police have known and the public have long suspected a connection between certain crime and addiction to hard drugs. In recent times, research has gone some way to proving a link. In 2001, a Home Office pilot study in Hackney, east London, revealed 66 per cent of people charged with acquisitive crimes such as theft, robbery and burglary tested positive for crack cocaine, cocaine or heroin. [continues 1226 words]
Protesters calling for the legalisation of cannabis staged a demonstration outside a court. About a dozen campaigners cheered and waved placards in support of three men who appeared at Chichester Crown Court. All three admitted drug offences in connection with an alleged Dutch-style cannabis cafe. Chris Baldwin, 52, of Carnegie Close, Worthing, who ran the Quantum Leaf cafe and adjoining Bongchuffa shop in Rowlands Road, Worthing, and Mark Benson, 37, of Irene Avenue, Lancing, admitted allowing premises to be used for smoking cannabis on November 27th 2002. Winston Matthew, 46, of Court Lodge Road, Horley, also attended yesterday's hearing and admitted possessing more than 450g of cannabis with intent to supply. [end]
However, Further Studies and More Treatment Options Are Still Needed CALGARY - The first large-scale randomized trial to assess if cannabis really does have potential benefit in treating multiple sclerosis symptoms has produced mixed results. There's some evidence that cannabis could be clinically useful in the treatment of symptoms related to MS, but more work is necessary using outcome measures that more adequately assess the effect of symptoms in chronic disease, concluded principal investigator Dr. John Zajicek, a neurologist at Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth, England. [continues 428 words]
THE fight against drugs in Croydon has been boosted by almost UKP400,000 from the Home Office. Last week the Government announced Croydon is one of just six places in the country picked to take part in a new scheme to cut drug-related crime. It is good news for Croydon Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT), which gets to decide how the money is spent, and has long been looking to break the link between drug abuse and crime. Andy Opie, from Croydon DAAT, said: "This is excellent news for Croydon and it's a lot of money. [continues 108 words]
GW Pharmaceuticals, the company developing a painkilling spray from cannabis, is braced to miss its end-of-year deadline for gaining approval to launch the drug. The company is also growing less confident that the Government's medicines regulator will approve the drug, to be called Sativex, for all the uses it originally requested. At briefings with City analysts, GW has been saying it expects approval "from the end of the year", while its broker, Collins Stewart, has warned its clients that a decision could take until next autumn. [continues 313 words]
(AP) LOS ANGELES - Three men who pleaded guilty to distributing marijuana to seriously ill patients received probation instead of a prison term after a judge expressed admiration for their work and called the prosecution "badly misguided." Scott Imler, Jeff Yablan and Jeffrey Farrington each received one year of probation and up to 250 hours of community service on Monday. They had faced up to 30 months in prison. Judge Howard Matz of U.S. District Court said he was navigating "somewhat uncharted shoals," but pointed out that the three men did not distribute the marijuana for money or political leverage. prison. [end]
The dance drug Ecstasy is set to be used in a medical trial involving patients with post-traumatic stress. Final ethical approval has been given for the tests, based at the University of South Carolina in the US. Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, was originally created as a slimming aid - and was made illegal after an upsurge in recreational use in the 1980s. The trial will test the effects of the drug on traumatised crime victims, and is expected to start in the New Year. [continues 375 words]
Britain's 'Harm Reduction' Policies Betray Our Duty To Guide And Protect Children Parents naturally tend to assume that drug education is all about prevention, but they are wrong. For the past 15 years, "harm reduction" has been the line peddled by most drug educators, teachers, youth workers, local authority advisers, independent consultants and trainers. And the Government, although it formally advocates prevention, clearly agrees with the approach. I am not saying harm reduction doesn't have a place: it is a legitimate strategy when dealing with known users. Heroin addicts can be encouraged to inhale the fumes rather than inject the liquid, thus avoiding blood-borne diseases such as Aids and hepatitis. But I believe it has no place in the classroom, where 90 per cent of pupils have no interest in pursuing a drug-taking lifestyle. Yes, 40 per cent will try cannabis, but most will give up after a puff or two. [continues 753 words]
ESSEX COUNTY Council has come under fire for blocking access to a pro-cannabis website from its libraries. The Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) is furious the site is barred from computers because it allegedly advocates drug taking. They believed access was particularly important with the debate over cannabis reclassification still unresolved. Don Barnard, Chelmsford spokesperson for the LCA, accused the council of political censorship. He said: We don't advocate the use of drugs in any shape or form. We are a registered political party that advises a change in the law. [continues 126 words]
Tam Dalyell seems all too willing to accept the Home Office's belief that heroin and cocaine are the most harmful drugs (8 November, p 51). I doubt he has seen any evidence that these illegal drugs are more harmful than the legal drugs alcohol and tobacco. The World Health Organisation estimates that tobacco use contributes to 6% of deaths, alcohol 1.5% and illegal drugs a mere 0.2% of deaths. Of course tobacco use is more common than illegal drug use but only by a factor of about 6. Our current discriminatory drug laws are based on prejudice rather than evidence. As a result the law misleads people - especially the young - into believing that legal drugs are safer than illegal drugs. This inevitably contributes to the death toll from alcohol and tobacco. [end]
A CHANGE in drug laws which means laid back cannabis users can relax even more when they light up has received the backing of a Reading MP. The drug will be officially re-classified from Class B to C on January 29 when police will only be left with four grounds for arresting people for possession. Reading West MP Martin Salter, who wants complete decriminalisation of cannabis, signalled his support of the change but called for a more credible drugs policy. [continues 188 words]
Drugs minister Caroline Flint is at the centre of a huge government push to tackle drug abuse and improve treatment. She talks to Alan Travis about the battle ahead Caroline Flint MP may have been drugs minister only for the past four months but already she is deeply immersed in overseeing one of the fastest growing government programmes in the public sector. After 30 years of Cinders-style neglect, drug treatment is finally receiving a massive cash injection that will see ?1.5bn a year of ring-fenced cash pumped into tackling drug abuse within two years. [continues 1238 words]
A promotion for cigarette papers has been banned by the advertising watchdog because it could be seen as condoning the use of cannabis. The advert had the words "Twist and" above a packet of Rizla papers with a turn at one end and "burn" on one side. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) carried out an investigation after receiving a complaint from a rival manufacturer who claimed the promotion "condoned the product's use for the consumption of illegal drugs". It found that, in some dictionaries, "twist" was a slang term for a cannabis cigarette and "burn" could be a reference to smoking one. It added that it understood cannabis cigarettes were normally fatter than those filled with tobacco and twisted at one end to prevent the contents falling out. Imperial Tobacco, makers of Rizla, said "twist and burn" was a phrase commonly used by motorcyclists and meant turning the bike's throttle and "burning rubber" along a road. [continues 90 words]
Graham Lawton Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition. A hand-held device designed to identify drivers impaired by drugs, alcohol or excessive tiredness, is being evaluated by the British police. The device is intended to deliver a quick yes or no verdict on whether a person is in a fit state to drive and works by assessing the driver's behaviour, rather than testing for particular substances. It is the first of its kind to be tested by police anywhere in the world. [continues 636 words]
A party which supports the legalisation of cannabis will field candidates in the Midlands for the first time at the next general election. The Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) is hoping to put up at least 120 candidates nationwide - including a handful in the Midlands. Among those who have volunteered to stand is Colin Preece, from Yardley, Birmingham, who got involved with the campaign several years ago. The father-of-five, who has never been politically active in the past, claims he supports the legalisation of cannabis for environmental reasons. "I come at it from a slightly different angle," said the 53-year-old. "Some of the other candidates who are hoping to stand at the next general election are standing because they enjoy smoking the weed and wish to do it legally. "But I am more interested in the effect that legalisation would have on the rainforest and the environment generally. [continues 283 words]
A BUSINESSMAN who wants to open Wales' first cannabis cafe has been forced to remove two controversial websites critical of North Wales Police officers after he was threatened with legalaction. Jeffrey Ditchfield's northwalespolice com and a forum debating change on beggarsbelief com have now been down for more than a week after solicitors Russell Jones & Walker contacted the businessman claiming material on the sites was "defamatory and offensive". The solicitors have promised to drop the matter provided Mr Ditchfield removes the comments and posts an apology to the officers on the sites. [continues 227 words]
Police Have Been Informed of the Incident at the School Two pupils have been suspended from one of Scotland's top private schools after being found in possession of cannabis. The boys - one aged 15, the other 17 - were discovered with the drug at Fettes college whose former students include Tony Blair. Headteacher Michael Spens confirmed that parents of both the boys had been notified of the decision. He said: "The school's policy towards drugs and drug taking on the premises is widely known and unequivocal - anyone found with them in their possession is liable to expulsion." [continues 94 words]
International trafficker found dead in London flat was suspect in gangland killing of Colombian dealer A British woman accused of taking part in a brutal and cold-blooded gangland killing has been found dead in her London home, prompting speculation that she may have been murdered by underworld enemies. Bournemouth-born Beverley Storr, 44, was believed to have been responsible for the death of Colombian drug dealer Arturo Miranda, whose body was pulled from a canal 50 miles north of Copenhagen in January 2001. Miranda, 54, had his hands tied behind his back and his throat was cut. He is believed to have been tortured for hours before he was shot through the back of the head at point-blank range. [continues 810 words]
A child and adolescent psychiatrist with the Mid-Western Health Board said yesterday that children as young as 10 are pooling their lunch money to buy drugs instead of sandwiches. Dr Yvonne Bailey told a board meeting in Limerick she has dealt with children as young as 10 who have bought cannabis. "I'm seeing 10-year-olds who, instead of buying a school lunch, club together to buy a 10-spot (a UKP10 quantity)," said Dr Bailey. "I also know of kids younger than 13 who have been taken drunk into casualty." [continues 367 words]
Italy's centre-right government has approved a proposal making it an offence to possess and use even the smallest quantities of mild narcotics. The move could give Italy some of Europe's most severe anti-drugs laws. People caught with modest amounts of cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and other drugs will be subject to penalties such as deprivation of their passports and driving licences. Those with larger amounts will face prison sentences of up to 20 years. The proposal, adopted by the prime minister and his cabinet on Thursday, must still be passed by parliament. But approval seems likely because all four parties in the coalition government, headed by Silvio Berlusconi, supported it. The coalition controls both legislative chambers. [continues 341 words]
Cannabis and Ecstasy Users Face Tough Penalties in Crackdown ROME -- Furious argument erupted in Italy yesterday over plans by Silvio Berlusconi's hard-right government for a sharp u-turn on drug control. A bill drawn up by the deputy prime minister and leader of Italy's former neo-fascists, Gianfranco Fini, abolishes distinctions between "hard" and "soft" drugs and introduces stiff penalties for possession as well as trafficking. Cannabis users caught with more than a few days' supply face jail sentences. Clubbers found with a single ecstasy tablet could have their passports impounded. [continues 494 words]
Peers have backed a move to downgrade cannabis, putting it in the same group as tranquilisers and steroids. The reclassification of the drug from Class B to C - meaning people will not usually be arrested for possession - will now go ahead in January The change was approved in the Lords by 63 votes to 37, but peers also agreed an amendment attacking the plans. "It may lead to increased use of cannabis, with risks to the health of young people," they said. [continues 445 words]
Cannabis will be downgraded to a Class C "non-arrestable" drug on 29 January. The reform to the Criminal Justice Bill was rubber-stamped by the House of Lords last night. The move from Class B was approved by 63 votes to 37, and puts cannabis in the same category as anabolic steroids, benzodiazepines and the "date rape" drug GHB. It means that in most cases police will no longer have the power to arrest users for possession. However, in a show of cross-party concern, peers also backed an amendment warning that the change may "risk the health of young people". [end]
The Results Were Mixed, Though, Because Doctors' Tests Couldn't Detect Improvement. A marijuana pill appeared to relieve some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the first scientifically rigorous study of the strongly debated drug. The research, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, found that even though improvements could not be detected by doctors' tests, a greater proportion of patients taking the drug reported reduced pain and muscle stiffness than those taking fake capsules. Experts said the mixed results make them tricky to interpret. Some said they were encouraged any improvement was noted, while others said if there had been a major effect, it would have shown up in the doctors' tests. [continues 594 words]
DON Barnard (Postbag, Wednesday) maps the questionable paths over the cannabis debate. I have been visiting Amsterdam for several years, and have never witnessed one incident of trouble, let alone violence. The cannabis laws are unquestionably idiotic, and if Switzerland or Portugal are mature enough to legalise the drug, then so should Britain. If drugs are banned then this by any aspect has to include alcohol and tobacco. Legal action is not about fines and reclassification, it's about the law making criminals of people who have never harmed anyone, yet get a criminal conviction for a joint. Hardly anoints the justice system today, does it? Collin Rossini Chaffinch Drive, Dovercourt. [end]
Public health researchers in the Netherlands now believe that there is "converging evidence" to show that using cannabis is a risk factor for schizophrenia. Researchers from the Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction warn that cannabis approximately doubles the risk of schizophrenia and that the risk increases in proportion to the amount of the drug used. The researchers draw their conclusions from a review of five longitudinal studies recently published in four medical journals, including the British Medical Journal (Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde 2003;44:2178-83). [continues 379 words]
Britain's most senior coroner has issued a stark warning that many young people are dying because of prolonged use of cannabis. Hamish Turner, president of the Coroners' Society, believes the drug is behind many deaths that have been recorded as accidents or suicides. During the past year, he claims, up to one in 10 of the 100 deaths he has dealt with have a significant link to the drug. Mr Turner's grim analysis came days after MPs voted for plans to reclassify cannabis as a Class C drug. [continues 215 words]
WITHOUT knowing all the facts it is difficult to comment on court reports published in the media. Take for example; "Cannabis: man fined" (Gazette October 31). The reported said the defendant pleaded guilty to "possession" of 135mgs of cannabis with an alleged UKP 5 street value. (Five pounds for 135mg? That makes it UKP 37/gram, UKP 1000/oz - unlikely! It's worth more like UKP 0.69, giving UKP 5/gram.) Notwithstanding that, let me say up front, I do not condone this crime. The defendant is clearly a danger to society. And, his antisocial behaviour will most certainly had an derogatory effect on his neighbours quality of life! [continues 100 words]
Mixed Results From Three-Year Study Of Patients Cannabis-based treatments for multiple sclerosis might benefit patients despite the largest trial of such medicines failing to find objective evidence of improvement, researchers said last night. A three-year study involving more than 600 patients revealed no reduction in muscle stiffness as measured by health professionals, yet most of those with the progressive nervous disorder felt cannabis had improved some of their symptoms. Cannabis treatment did appear to cut slightly the time those who could walk took to cover small distances and the relapse rate among those who had the relapsing-remitting form of the disease, in which symptoms occur and then clear up for a period. [continues 424 words]
Cops Bust 100 Dealers A Day As Drug Crime Hits New High ... But Mr Bigs Escape The Net DRUG crime hit an all-time high last year as cheap cocaine flooded into Scotland. Shock figures obtained by the Sunday Mail reveal police made more than 100 drugs busts a day last year and arrested more than 40,000 users and dealers. But senior officers privately admit they are still failing to shut down the crime lords behind Scotland's multi-million-pound drugs trade. [continues 775 words]
The former commercial arm of the United Kingdom Energy Authority has developed a cannabis inhaler at the same plant which experimented with scientists inhaling plutonium. AEA Technology is the first to develop a system of cannabis delivery in expectation of the legal lid being lifted on the use of the drug for medicinal purposes. The company has filed a patent for an aerosol which would vaporise cannabis, allowing it to be inhaled as part of medical treatment for various illnesses. The medical use of cannabis looks more likely to be legalised after MPs voted to downgrade the drug from class B to class C as of January, ranking it alongside body-building steroids and some anti-depressants. [continues 520 words]
Cannabis Warning From Suicide Victim's Mother Police have defended their decision to auction plant growing equipment that has been confiscated from convicted criminals or is lost property Suffolk Constabulary is auctioning a collection of items including hydroponics equipment, seed tray lights, and water reservoirs in Ipswich tomorrow. Most of the proceeds will be donated to local charities and community groups. Suffolk police said the force regularly sold unclaimed goods or items seized from criminals, and would destroy any items that could not be used legitimately. [continues 318 words]
Study: Patients felt better; objective tests didn't show improvement LONDON -- A marijuana pill appeared to relieve some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the first scientifically rigorous study of the strongly debated drug. The research, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, found that even though improvements could not be detected by objective tests, a greater proportion of patients taking the drug reported reduced pain and muscle stiffness than those taking placebos. Experts said the results make them tricky to interpret. Some said they were encouraged any improvement was noted, while others said if there had been a major effect, it would have shown up in the doctors' tests. [continues 208 words]
Results from the world's largest study into the medical effects of cannabis have confirmed that the drug can reduce pain and improve the lives of people with multiple sclerosis. Scientists concluded that patients for whom other treatments have failed should be given tablets made from cannabis derivatives. The three-year study, published in the medical journal the Lancet, is the first clinical appraisal of whether cannabis-derived drugs can help treat MS. "These improvements to quality of life can make a significant difference to people with MS," said Mike O'Donovan, chief executive of Britain's Multiple Sclerosis Society. "On the evidence now available, the MS Society believes those who might benefit should be able to have treatment prescribed on the [National Health Service]." [continues 90 words]
Researchers Say Smoking Marijuana Could Benefit Patients TORONTO -- The first large clinical trial looking at whether marijuana actually has a medicinal effect for people with multiple sclerosis has found there is probably a clinical benefit from taking the drug. The British trial was designed to see if doses of cannabinoids, the active compounds in cannabis, reduce spasticity in people who have MS. While it made no discernible difference on that front, people who received the drug had less pain, slept better and had better mobility than people who received a placebo. [continues 201 words]
LONDON - A marijuana pill appeared to relieve some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the first scientifically rigorous study of the strongly debated drug. The research, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, found that even though improvements could not be detected by doctors' tests, a greater proportion of patients taking the drug reported reduced pain and muscle stiffness than those taking fake capsules. Experts said the mixed results make them tricky to interpret. Some said they were encouraged any improvement was noted, while others said if there had been a major effect, it would have shown up in the doctors' tests. [continues 534 words]
Claims that cannabis can relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis have been reinforced by results from the world's largest ever trial of the medicinal effects of the drug - but only just. The main improvements seen were in subjective measures of symptoms, i.e. those reported by the patients, rather than in those measured using standardised tests. Nonetheless, the study on 630 MS patients has been greeted as providing the strongest scientific justification yet for legalising medicines based on marijuana. "The study does suggest that for some people, they may be of benefit, particularly in terms of pain relief and muscle stiffness," says Alan Thompson, at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, UK, and co-leader of the research. [continues 386 words]
The biggest study of using cannabis to relieve multiple sclerosis symptoms produced mixed results, but researchers say there's enough evidence to warrant licensing the treatment for MS. There was no proof that cannabis relieved muscle stiffness caused by the disease but patients reported some improvements in pain relief, rigidity and mobility, according to today's edition of The Lancet. There were also fewer relapses in MS patients given cannabis capsules or extract than those taking a placebo. Earlier this year, the Netherlands became the world's first country to make cannabis available as a prescription drug for cancer, HIV and MS. Patients in Canada Britain, and the U.S. have pushed for similar measures. A British drug firm has pioneered an under-the-tongue cannabis spray for MS patients which could be launched in Britain this year. [end]
LONDON - A marijuana pill appeared to relieve some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the first scientifically rigorous study of the strongly debated drug. The research, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, found that even though improvements could not be detected by doctors' tests, a greater proportion of patients taking the drug reported reduced pain and muscle stiffness than those taking fake capsules. Experts said the mixed results make them tricky to interpret. One study leader, Dr. John Zajicek of the University of Plymouth in England, said the research raises questions about what's more important: a doctor's measurements or the patient's perspective. [continues 342 words]
LONDON (AP) - A marijuana pill appeared to relieve some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the first scientifically rigorous study of the strongly debated drug. The research, published this week in The Lancet medical journal, found that even though improvements could not be detected by doctors' tests, a greater proportion of patients taking the drug reported reduced pain and muscle stiffness than those taking fake capsules. Experts said the mixed results make them tricky to interpret. Some said they were encouraged that any improvement was noted, while others said if there had been a major effect, it would have shown up in the doctors' tests. [continues 330 words]
Results from the world's largest study into the medical effects of cannabis have shown that the drug can reduce pain and improve the lives of people with multiple sclerosis. Scientists concluded that patients for whom other treatments have failed should be given tablets made from cannabis derivatives. The three-year study, published in the medical journal The Lancet today, is the first clinical appraisal of whether cannabis-derived drugs can help treat MS. Mike O'Donovan, chief executive of the Multiple Sclerosis Society said: "These improvements to quality of life can make a significant difference to people with MS. On the evidence now available, the MS Society believes those who might benefit should be able to have treatment prescribed on the NHS." [continues 319 words]
Cannabis helped to relieve symptoms in many patients with multiple sclerosis, but doctors say today they could find no physical proof of improvement. The first large scale trial of an active part of cannabis for people with MS has produced a mixed result. Doctors' objective measurements showed no reduction in limb stiffness, but more than half the patients said this had improved. Overall, more patients taking the active drug, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), reported that spasticity or limb stiffness, pain, spasms and sleep had improved compared with those taking a dummy drug. [continues 80 words]
CAMPAIGNERS will today call for cannabis-based medicines to be made available on the NHS as research found it could be beneficial for patients. The first results of the nationwide cannabis and multiple sclerosis trial has suggested the drug could have potential clinical uses for this group of patients to control pain and improve mobility. But the research, involving 630 patients, found cannabis and its derivatives had no improvement on spasticity even though patients themselves thought it did. The findings have renewed calls for cannabis, due to be downgraded to a Class C drug in January, to be made widely available as a licensed medicine available on the NHS. [continues 431 words]
How do you tell your kids not to smoke dope when you do? Patrick Matthews, who has written a book on cannabis, tries hard not to make a hash of it . The smell is unmistakable as I go up the stairs, but if I was in any doubt, the 16-year-old is holding a spliff. A group of my son's friends are standing around and sitting on the sofa. They hadn't expected me back so soon, but they are unfazed by my presence. [continues 1178 words]
The first large clinical trial looking at whether marijuana actually has a medicinal effect for people with multiple sclerosis has found that there is probably a clinical benefit from taking the drug. The British trial was designed to see if doses of cannabinoids, the active compounds in cannabis, reduce spasticity in people who have MS. While it made no discernible difference on that front, people who received the drug had less pain, slept better and had better mobility than people who received a placebo. [continues 677 words]
South African cannabis now dominates illegal trade A new generation of young British drug barons are becoming overnight millionaires by importing high-quality cannabis direct from South Africa. The gangs are taking advantage of the rock-bottom price of the South African product - known locally as dagga - to enjoy profit margins as high as 4,000 per cent and police are warning that those behind the trade could become richer and more powerful than those trafficking cocaine and heroin. Cannabis from South Africa and neighbouring countries is some of the most potent in the world and now accounts for the vast majority of seizures in the UK. [continues 692 words]
Britain's most senior coroner is warning that hundreds of young people are dying in accidents caused by their prolonged use of cannabis. Hamish Turner, the president of the Coroners' Society, said that the drug, which is often portrayed as harmless, has increasingly been behind deaths that have been recorded as accidents or suicides. In the past year, he estimated that cannabis was a significant contributory factor in about 10 per cent of the 100 cases that he had dealt with in south Devon, where he works. [continues 818 words]
Drugs from Afghanistan are pouring through Central Asia on their way to Britain, the UN said last week. Tom Parfitt reports from Tajikistan Hunched over his walkie-talkie at a dusty command post near the border with Afghanistan, the Tajik soldier shouted in frustration: "Where are you? What can you see?" An Afghan farmer works on a poppy field in the Jurum district of Badakhshan province In reply came a garbled tirade, distorted by static. "It's no good," said the soldier. "I can't understand a thing." [continues 757 words]
A herbalist who sells cannabis-based medicines to hundreds of multiple sclerosis, Aids and cancer patients is facing jail tomorrow after admitting that he tried to smuggle 25kg of cannabis into Britain from Switzerland. Tony Taylor, who runs an alternative medicine shop and "cannabis dispensary" in King's Cross, London, was arrested at Luton airport in March. He told Customs officers he had bought the cannabis to make specialised medicines for 700 patients, many of whom were referred to him by local GP surgeries and Aids clinics. [continues 385 words]
Inside Europe
