Subj: UK: Cannabis goes for ecstasy



Date: 17 Feb, 2000



Source: Guardian, The  (UK)







Cannabis goes for ecstasy



Britain Home-grown 'superweed' exchanged for Dutch tablets

David Hencke and Rob Evans



Britain's drug barons are exporting home grown, high grade

cannabis to Holland in exchange for Dutch manufactured

ecstasy tablets, American intelligence officers have warned

the home office.



The US drug enforcement agency has told Paul Boateng, the

home office minister, that Britain is now one of the top

centres for growing "nederweed" - a superior grade of

cannabis which is 30% stronger than the standard drug on the

market. It is grown in illegal laboratories using strong

lights and water to aid its growth.



Details are revealed in a previously secret report given to

Mr Boateng last summer when he held talks in Washington with

Donnie Marshall, the deputy US drug tsar. They were released

to the Guardian under the US freedom of information act. The

equivalent British documents for the meeting will remain

secret until 2030.



The report - prepared by US intelligence officers who

monitor Europe's illegal drug trade - says the export trade

is a recent development which builds on Britain's growing

reputation in the drugs world for growing superior weed. It

says that customs officers are already worried that Britain

is being flooded with nederweed grown in Holland - but now

Britain seems to have a big enough home grown market to

export it back to the Netherlands.



"Cannabis is the most abused drug in the United Kingdom.

Customs and Excise reports seizing an all-time record 82.5

metric tonnes of cannabis in the United Kingdom in 1997,"

says the report.



The trade was often carried out by air rather than through

the ports. And Colombia - traditionally one of Britain's top

suppliers of cocaine - has recently become a big supplier

for traditional strength marijuana.



"In a relatively short period of time Colombia has become an

important marijuna source country for the UK." Most of the

cannabis was imported by ship rather than by air.



Yesterday customs and excise made it clear that cannabis was

still a top target. "I think the figures speak for

themselves," said a spokeswoman.



Stuart Crookshank, deputy head of anti-smuggling operations

at customs and excise, said: "We are aware and alert to the

risk posed by nederweed and all cannabis derivatives."