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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Czech Republic: Some 200 people protest against police raid on grow shops
Prague Daily Monitor Monday 11 Nov 2013 The meeting was organised by the Legalizace.cz (Legalisation) association in reaction to the Monday raid on some 50 grow shops. The police raided them on the basis of a law article about illicit distribution of drugs and the Supreme Court's ruling from last year that upheld a suspended sentence given to a flower shop's owners for illicit distribution of drugs. The protesters Saturday expressed support to the prosecuted grow shop owners and cannabis legalisation. They were whistling loud and carried banners reading, for instance, "Growing Is No Crime." The police accused at least 22 people after the raid on grow shops, most of them (nine) in the Moravian-Silesian Region, north Moravia. Detectives seized money as well as tools and equipment necessary for cannabis cultivation during the raid and they closed some of the shops. The raid is to continue in the days to come and other people might be charged. The police are checking a suspicion of drug delicts in more than 50 cases. However, association chairman Robert Veverka said most grow shops had limited or removed the offer of assortment which could be qualified as the crime of illicit drug distribution, such as the simultaneous sale of cannabis seeds, growing equipment, smoking supplies and information leaflets and booklets on growing, at the begining of the summer. However, the law enforcement bodies did not take it into consideration and they decided to destroy the grow shops as such, he added. "Each of their customers is alone responsible for handling the purchased goods and the grow shops definitely do not induce anyone to the use of illegal drugs by selling flower pots and fertilisers," Veverka pointed out. The police raid has only played into the hands of big marijuana dealers in black market as well as the state-licenced firms that will sell cannabis for medical purposes legally, Veverka added. Marijuana is still illegal in the Czech Republic but a new law has enabled the use of cannabis for medical purposes since April. Under the valid law, the firms will be allowed to import cannabis only, not to grow it. Critics point out that the allowed 30 grammes will not be sufficient for a lot of patients. They also criticise a high price of the legal cannabis-based products. The Dutch firm from which cannabis would be bought offers a gramme for 200 crowns, so a patient would spend 6000 crowns per 30 grammes a month. A number of doctors agree with the legal use of cannabis for the treatment, for instance, of chronic pain. It can also help patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, dementia and cancer. In the Czech Republic such cannabis-based products may be available with a prescription as of the end of the year. So far patients have been buying cannabis in black market or growing it themselves. http://praguemonitor.com/2013/11/11/some-200-people-protest-against-police-raid-grow-shops
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