Former Northland police Detective Sergeant Mike Blowers is unlikely to serve out his jail term in the region, ironically because of the good work he did to put drug dealers behind bars. Yesterday, 51-year-old Blowers was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison after a judge said his actions involved "a very high level of hypocrisy". Blowers, who joined the police force in 1992, admitted to supplying methamphetamine between June 1, 2011 and June 31, 2012, as well as stealing methamphetamine from the evidence lock-up at Whangarei Police Station in October 2011, replacing it with rock salt to disguise his theft. [continues 530 words]
A former police detective who admitted to supplying drugs has been sentenced to almost five years in prison. In the High Court at Whangarei this morning, Mike Blowers was sentenced to four years and nine months for supplying meth and two years and three months for theft of drugs, to be served concurrently. He was discharged on charge of supplying cannabis. The former Detective Sergeant, who's 51, pleaded guilty in October to supplying methamphetamine, and stealing methamphetamine from a police exhibit room. The charges date to a period between June 2011 and June 2012. [continues 75 words]
Eventually, for me, it came down to this. Why does a can of imported tuna display nutritional information and a list of ingredients including the type of thickener used, the percentage of tuna (57 per cent) and detail on the colouring (paprika). Thus allowing me to make an informed choice about consuming this product. Why do we know nothing about what's in "synthetic cannabis", a so-called legal high with potentially addictive and destructive qualities? In recent months, the public clamour to ban legal highs has given National a political headache and the country a new health issue. [continues 385 words]
Cannabis brings the prude out in me. Which means that Norml New Zealand's warm welcome to cannabis legalisation in the US states of Colorado and Washington and call for a similar law change here leaves me cold. In particular, the suggestion that some sort of cannabis tourism opportunity exists in Northland. On page 5 today, Norml spokesman Abe Gray says Northland could be the ideal place for a legalisation trial. He also suggests Northland "could vie for the opportunity to be the first in the trial". [continues 225 words]
Cannabis law reformers want Northland to trial marijuana liberalisation in a bid to increase tourism after the American states of Colorado and Washington voted to legalise the drug. But a regional tourism leader doubts relaxing cannabis laws would boost tourism as claimed by the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Norml). Colorado and Washington last week voted to legalise marijuana possession for people aged 21 and over and Norml spokesman Abe Gray said New Zealand should do the same to attract more tourists. [continues 319 words]
Farmers fearing retaliation for dobbing in dope growers are being assured total anonymity when giving information to the Crimestoppers phoneline. Police want rural Northlanders to dob in dope growers and break the chain of illegal cannabis growing and dealing. In the last annual bust, Northland yielded more than a third of the country's haul of illegal plants. During the month-long Northland phase of the operation during summer, 34,917 cannabis plants were seized or destroyed, out of the national total of 97,000 plants. [continues 239 words]
Cannabis law reformers are touring the country spreading their message and will be in Northland for four days next month. The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party started its nationwide Cannabis Truth Roadshow in Levin yesterday and will visit most towns and cities across the country in the lead up to the November 26 general election. The roadshow, which is also being promoted by National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and GreenCross Medicinal Cannabis Support Group, will visit Matthews Ave, Kaitaia on October 6; Marsden Rd, Paihia on October 7 and Quayside, Whangarei on October 8. The roadshow may also hold a seminar on medicinal marijuana use in Whangarei on October 9 if there is enough interest. [continues 66 words]
Northland has retained the dubious national title of "cannabis capital" with more than a third of the country's haul of illegal plants being ripped out or sprayed in the region. During the month-long Northland phase of the operation over summer, 34,917 cannabis plants were seized or destroyed. That is well over a third of the national total of 97,000 plants. Head of the Northland police organised crime unit, Detective Sergeant Mike Blowers, said the blitz, codenamed Operation Linda, had made a dent in the region's multimillion dollar drug trade. [continues 420 words]
Teenagers have been experimenting with illicit substances since time immemorial. And as long as we have teenagers, they will continue to do so. As we reported in Saturday's Northern Advocate, police are putting pressure on dairy owners to stop stocking a synthetic cannabis. It comes in various guises, but the brand Kronic has gained attention for all the wrong reasons, with users becoming ill, turning up at school "stoned" etc. Oh yes, and the Director-General of Health has warned retailers to stop selling the "herbal smoking product" Kronic Pineapple Express because it contains a prescription medicine used in the short-term treatment of anxiety. It is also used as an anticonvulsant. Nice. [continues 285 words]
Three undercover police officers posing as cannabis growers busted two Whangarei retailers who sold them equipment used to manufacture the illegal drug, a jury has heard. Police subsequently charged the manager of Whangarei's Switched on Gardener, Ian Robert Kerr, 51, and his partner and colleague Catherine Anne Collins, 44, with offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act. A three-day trial before a jury of nine men and three women started in the Whangarei District Court yesterday. The pair was arrested during a national operation targeting Switched on Gardener, and similar stores, around the country. [continues 355 words]
Legalising cannabis for medicinal purposes would be the thin end of the wedge towards increasing drug use in New Zealand, according to a former detective who now manages a drug education company. And Dale Kirk, managing director of MethCon, said taking a softer line on drug offenders would do more harm than good. A wide-ranging review of New Zealand drug laws recommends taking steps towards legalising cannabis for medicinal use, cutting criminal charges against low-level drug offenders and introducing new regulations stopping production of party pills. [continues 468 words]
A Law Commission report on controlling and regulating drug use signals that New Zealand is moving ever closer to decriminalised use of illicit drugs, a Northland drug educator says. Northland based MethCon Group director Mike Sabin warned that proposals in the review of the Misuse of Drugs Act could lead to a "breeding ground" of new drug users . "Of significant concern to me is that the flavour of this report is very much toward regulating illegal drug use and possession of this rather than preventing it and halting it where it is occurring," he said. [continues 317 words]
Cannabis connoisseurs could be smoking in specialised clubs across Northland by the end of the year, says a drug-law reform campaigner. But Northland police say the plan is "extremely optimistic" and doubt the clubs would open, given that they are targeting drug offences in the region. Auckland man Dakta Green established the Daktory, which until only days ago had operated for over a year with members smoking the illegal drug hassle-free at a New Lynn address. Cannabis was sold and at one point there were 20 different strands available at the Daktory. [continues 460 words]
Cannabis cultivation skills which could bring brothers Tim and Dave A'Court jail terms in Whangarei where they lived as teenagers, have made them successful businessmen in Amsterdam. The Kiwiseeds company they set up in the liberal Dutch city five years ago has since won three Cannabis Cups awarded by High Times, a New York-based magazine with an international circulation advocating the drug's legalisation. Tim, 40, and Dave 37, were born in Britain and moved to New Zealand with their mother when they were infants, living first at Ruawai, then Dargaville and settling in Whangarei after a brief stint in Tauranga. [continues 232 words]
Record numbers of people have been arrested and cannabis plants destroyed in the latest blitz on Northland's multi-million-dollar drug trade. Some 67,508 cannabis plants were ripped out or doused with blue herbicide spray by police during the annual recovery operation - 22,000 more plants than those found in last season's cannabis operation. The 245 people arrested during the month-long operation are facing serious charges, including manufacturing methamphetamine and supplying methamphetamine. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. [continues 476 words]
Northland's hot dry weather is seen as a blessing by most, but the region's dope growers see it as a curse that increases their chances of being caught as they water their illicit cash crops. Detective Sergeant John Miller, of the Northland police organised crime unit, said that, as there had been little rain since Christmas, dope growers would be feeling the heat as their crops would need frequent watering. With increased watering came a greater chance of the growers being caught, but police needed the public's help, Mr Miller said. [continues 398 words]
Northland's cash crop cannabis looks set for a bumper season with two plots discovered by trampers near Whangarei. The plots were well developed and covered in netting to protect them from pests. The latest cannabis find confirms the drug's popularity has not waned despite the burgeoning methamphetamine trade. Head of the Northland police organised-crime squad, Detective Sergeant Grant Smith, expected to find and seize a record number of cannabis plants this growing season. "Over the past five years, cannabis-plant seizures have been steadily increasing. Cannabis is still the base funding for other drug and criminal offending," he said. [continues 351 words]
Northland's cash crop cannabis looks set for a bumper season with two plots discovered by trampers near Whangarei. The plots were well developed and covered in netting to protect them from pests. The latest cannabis find confirms the drug's popularity has not waned despite the burgeoning methamphetamine trade. Head of the Northland police organised-crime squad, Detective Sergeant Grant Smith, expected to find and seize a record number of cannabis plants this growing season. "Over the past five years, cannabis-plant seizures have been steadily increasing. Cannabis is still the base funding for other drug and criminal offending," he said. [continues 333 words]
Dave Meins' knees start shaking. His arms fly up in the air to help him balance. But the 69-year-old fulltime farmer wobbles, then topples over. He doesn't look stoned - but a test he failed suggests otherwise. The Waiotira man doesn't smoke cannabis and swears he had just a can of lemonade for lunch before failing a mock drug test conducted by the Northern Advocate. Based on one police propose to use from next year on drivers they suspect have used drugs, the test included walking a straight line, balancing with eyes shut, touching the nose with eyes shut and standing on one leg. [continues 148 words]
Northland police have launched their holiday drink-drive blitz but will soon be able to stop and test drivers for drugs as well. The Government has announced that driving while impaired by illegal drugs will become a new offence, attracting the same penalties as drink driving. The same roadside impairment test used for alcohol will be applied when police suspect a driver is impaired by illegal drug use. The compulsory roadside test includes an eye examination, a balance test, a walk and turn test and other similar tasks. If drivers fail the roadside test they will be required to provide a blood test and could be charged on the basis of that. [continues 567 words]
