A MASSIVE crackdown on drug dealers and burglars in Calderdale has seen more than six decades' worth of prison sentences slapped on criminals. Operation Irondale led to dozens of home raids across the district and scores of arrests. It is thought the jail sentences given to people arrested during the operation amount to around 68 years. While sentencing the most recent trio to be handed jail sentences, Judge John Potter said he had no hesitation in commending the work of officers involved in helping bring the men to justice. [continues 424 words]
CANNABIS with a street value of more than UKP4,000 was seized from the home of an arthritis sufferer who smoked it to ease his agony. Barry Anthony Young, 27, of Cousin Lane, Ovenden, Halifax, admitted producing a kilo of cannabis at an earlier hearing. Calderdale Magistrates Court heard how police raided Young's home in October. Mark Steeples, prosecuting, said: "They were immediately met by the pungent smell of cannabis." Officers seized 10 plants from two upstairs bedrooms and cannabis-growing paraphernalia, including hydroponic equipment, from the attic. [continues 111 words]
She Uses Drug to Ease Pain of Muscle Disease A GRAN who suffers from a muscle disease has vowed to keep growing and smoking cannabis to ease her pain - despite being warned she will be sent straight to prison. Goanita Jacques, 48, was given a two-month suspended sentence for producing the drug when she appeared at Bradford Crown Court. If caught again she will be jailed. But today she told the Courier: "If it's a crime to ease this agonising pain, they will have to send me to prison." [continues 317 words]
FLASHY cars paid for with drugs money will be seized by police using more aggressive tactics to fight crime. There will be more raids on suspected drug dealers in Calderdale, more covert surveillance on wanted criminals and more officers dedicated to tackling the crime which the general public see as untouchable. The new tactics herald a key change to Calderdale CID which has been divided into two parts. The traditional 'reactive' side will remain, alongside a new 'proactive' CID team with Det Insp Tony Nicholson at the helm. Under him will be three smaller teams, each made up of six or seven detectives and police constables, headed by a sergeant. [continues 213 words]
A WOMAN who allowed cannabis to be smoked at home has been fined. Pauline Wilkinson, 41, of Furness Drive, Mixenden, Halifax, admitted allowing the smoking of cannabis to take place on May 8. Andy Wills, prosecuting, told Calderdale magistrates cannabis resin and bush, plus scales and cash, were found at her home. "She admitted she allowed other members of her family to smoke cannabis," Mr Wills said. Maggie Wood, for Wilkinson, also said Wilkinson used the class C drug to help ease back pain. "She says she would prefer them to be in the house smoking rather than out on the streets. "It's nothing more sinister than that." Magistrates ordered her to pay a UKP100 fine plus costs. [end]
A NEW report has revealed the huge amount being spent by drug addicts in Calderdale every day. It is costing the average hard drug user about UKP50 a day to feed their habit - and the only way to pay for it is through crime. The findings are from a report commissioned by Calderdale Drug and Alcohol Action Team to examine the nature and extent of crack cocaine and Class A drug misuse across the district. Specialist researchers from Government-funded Smith and Honor carried out the survey of 50 Calderdale drug users, which revealed addicts were having to fund a UKP16,000-a-year habit on average. [continues 474 words]
CANNABIS campaigner Philip Lockwood addressed a conference of "weed" activists at a Norwich university. Mr Lockwood, 44, of Waring Green, Brighouse, attended the third annual party conference of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) at the University of East Anglia on Saturday. Mr Lockwood, 44, stood as the LCA candidate for the Calder Valley at the last General Election and plans to open a cannabis cafe in Calderdale by the end of the year. "It was a successfu1 conference that produced a lot of very positive ideas, there were a lot of positive people there," said Mr Lockwood. [continues 85 words]
This election will bankrupt me, says Philip Lockwood, with a wry grin, as he takes another puff and then a quick swig of Carlsberg. Calder Valley's "free the weed" candidate - one of 14 standing for the Legalise Cannabis Alliance - is in a mellow, meet the media mood. He's sitting outside the Clifton Arms in Brighouse enjoying the sun. He doesn't seem too worried about his impending bankruptcy. Two local bands are talking of doing a benifit gig and the alliance is providing him with the fliers for the free mailshot that every candidate gets. [continues 536 words]
Calder Valley election hopefuls all admitted using cannabis when they appeared at a public meeting in Brighouse last night. They were discussing reviewing laws surrounding drugs including cannabis. Mr Philip Lockwood, Legalise Cannabis Alliance, said he used it and many people did for medicinal purposes but more surprisingly the other candidates then made their confessions. Conservative candidate Mrs Sue Catling and Liberal Democrat Mr Michael Taylor smoked it at university and Mrs CHris McCafferty, Labour, sheepishly admitted eating it - apparently it was put in a cake at a party she attended a long time ago. [end]
Can any of your readers suggest a law that punishes a person for growing or owning a plant that neither hurts nor threatens society or another person or their property? Apart from the Misuse of Drugs Act when applied to cannabis, of course. Alun Buffry, Legalise Cannabis Alliance, http://www.lca-uk.org [end]
All the major political parties have been playing fast and loose with the truth about cannabis for over 75 years. The truth is that should never have been made illegal in the first place, and was done so for international political and economic reasons, unsupported by the medical establishment or even the British Government of the time. Yet here at the start of a new millennium politicians like Coun Andrew Feather ("Mailbag", Nov 27) keep on regurgitating the same old myths, misleading soundbites and downright lies because they don't know how to admit they were wrong. [continues 104 words]
The truth is that should never have been made illegal in the first place, and was done so for international political and economic reasons, unsupported by the medical establishment or even the British Government of the time. Yet here at the start of a new millennium politicians like Coun Andrew Feather ("Mailbag", Nov 27) keep on regurgitating the same old myths, misleading soundbites and downright lies because they don't know how to admit they were wrong. Cannabis is not, and never has been, a dangerous drug. It is a plant with many hundreds of beneficial and environment-friendly uses which has been utilised worldwide for at least 4000 years, and may even have played a key role in the rise of human civilisation. [continues 52 words]
The Lib Dems are in a mixed-up muddle when it comes to nicotine and cannabis. At a recent Calderdale Council scrutiny meeting we discussed a proposal by a Liberal Democrat to ban all smoking anywhere in council buildings and vehicles. Her colleague, a smoker, who said we should think of the welfare of council officers who wanted to smoke, opposed this at the same meeting. In a further twist, their national leader, Charles Kennedy, has recently stated his opinion that cannabis ought to be decriminalised. If you forgive the pun, what foggy logic from the Liberal Democrats. [continues 275 words]
I WAS one of the people from far-flung places who wrote in to complain about William Marshall's stupid article (or, as he would have it, "jolly spoof") about what the world would be like if cannabis were legalised ("Going up in smoke", "Evening Courier", October 11). I was sent the story by a friend who knows I have an interest in this subject. He was right to assume it would make my blood boil. For too long we've had the same old lies and stereotypes of cannabis users, used to prop up an evil and very destructive law which has ruined the lives of many millions of otherwise decent people. I, for one, have had enough of this and so I will speak out every time I see articles like William's published. [continues 62 words]
WILLIAM Marshall's piece headlined "Going up in smoke" ("Evening Courier", October 11) may be intended as satire, but to colour a potential nation of cannabis users as hedonistic abusers who don't know when to quit is a bit extreme, don't you think? Look to Arabian or Indian cultures where cannabis was preferred over alcohol if you want to realistically gauge the effects of a culture permeated by THC. I don't think everyone who drinks alcohol continually overindulges themselves to the point of loss of consciousness or to violent fits of rage and wife beating. Please show a bit or [sic] responsible restraint on the acerbic British wit as we've all had a bit too much of the "reefer madness" already. Christopher A. Joseph, Parma, Ohio, U.S. [end]
IF William Marshall ("Going up in smoke", "Evening Courier", October 11) wants to show us how Britain might change after cannabis decriminalisation, why doesn't he simply look at Dutch realities? Twenty four years after possession of 30 grammes of cannabis was decriminalised there, a mere 2.5 per cent of the Dutch population - one person in 40 - regularly use the herb. Adolescent use rates are around half of what they are in Britain. In the Netherlands decriminalisation has taken the glamour out of cannabis. Cannabis prohibition is completely counterproductive, continually tempting young people through the "forbidden fruit" effect. Let's get real, let's go Dutch! Joe Wein, Japan [end]
I HOPE the "joint confession" of the eight Tory top guns will make it much easier for other politicians to come out and "just say no" to the costly and ineffective war on cannabis. It also confirms what pro-cannabis campaigners have been saying for years, that cannabis smokers can be found in every section of society and are inspired, industrious individuals, certainly not dangerous, and it's time we stopped treating good people as criminals. William Hague says he is going to ask the "drug action this" and "anti drug that" organisations (the very people whose jobs depend on cannabis being illegal) whether we should legalise cannabis! [continues 60 words]
I STARTED reading the article headlined "Going up in smoke" (Evening Courier", October 11th) with some interest, given the fact that cannabis legislation is now a major issue, but oh, what a pathietic item it turned out to be. If William Marshall, the author, was trying to be funny, sorry but by playing on the myth of the amotivated pot-head, he simply ended up writing line after line of stupid drivel. Look around you; we have a major problem caused by the drug laws and something needs to be done. We've had nearly 30 years of a war against drugs, a policy which has tried to address a social issue by treating the people at risk as criminals. If nothing else the events of the last week or so have shown that we've had enough. Please treat this issue in a serious, informed way in future. Derek Williams, Pembroke Road, Norwich [end]
WHAT will they think of us in the future, injecting ourselves with mind-controlling drugs to escape reality? I can understand, in a war zone, with killing all around, the need to escape reality but Britain is not a war zone. Admittedly it is depressing at times but life is all about taking the rough with the smooth. It's certainly rough in Calderdale. In 1962 the Samaritans opened a new centre in Halifax because this area had one of the highest rates of suicides in the country and I think I am right in saying that, 38 years later, the year 2000, Calderdale still has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. [continues 104 words]
ANN Widdecombe has, quite rightly, been slated for her draconian proposals to crack down on drugs. However, her proposed instant fine for first-time possession of even one joint of cannabis was arguably the least controversial of these measures. Much more insidious is the proposed change of law that would make it a criminal offence to have drugs in the bloodstream. This measure is not so much aimed at those who commit burglaries to fund their drug habits, ie, the heroin or crack cocaine addict, it is primarily aimed at the casual cannabis user. [continues 313 words]
