Thieves Raid 'Drug' Field

[420AM&PM]

Thieves have been raiding a field on the outskirts of Scarborough because they think the crop is the drug cannabis. But what they are stealing from the field near Raincliffe Woods is hemp which looks like marijuana but has no narcotic effects.

The crop is being grown for a company near Driffield called The Springdale Group. Production director Simon Meakin said: "People are risking prosecution for no reason at all.

"They are wasting their time stealing the hemp because there is no narcotics in it.

"If you smoked the whole field all you would end up with is a sore throat and a bad cough.

"Hemp is a high quality fibre crop. The hemp stems can grow to 10ft tall.

"When they have been cut down they are baled up and we process the stems.

"They have numerous uses including being used for building insulation and high quality textiles.

"Both hemp and marijuana come from the cannabis plant family and can look similar at first sight. Levis once used hemp to make their jeans because it is strong and hard-wearing."

One 18-year-old, who had visited the field, said: "When I went there were quite a few people there, mainly 15 to 16-year-olds, but there was a few older people.

"There were also kids with bags of the stuff trying to sell it."

One cannabis smoker said the rumour that drugs were being grown in the field had spread quickly throughout Scarborough "by word of mouth".

Insp Keith Froggatt, of Scarborough Police, said: "We are aware that people are attempting to pass the hemp around town".

Newshawk: 420AM&PM - 420 Magazine
Source: ScarboroughToday (UK)
Pubdate: September 18, 2006
Copyright: © 2006 Johnston Press Digital Publishing.
Contact: Scarborough Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More
Website: Scarborough Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More

[danker]

ha, i hope they get kicked for selling fake weed

[RangerDanger]

If you sell hemp and claim to the buyer that it's marijuna, you could get arrested/charged/convicted of selling weed, same as if you hold up a bank with a toy get it's still armed robbery.