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Super-cannabis industry thriving in Far North

Iain Grant

This Is North Scotland

Tuesday 14 Nov 2000


A thriving illegal cottage industry is operating in Caithness
producing super-strong cannabis, it emerged yesterday.

The operation in attics, garages and outhouses is very profitable,
with individuals becoming increasingly adept at avoiding detection,
according to Northern Constabulary's area drugs officer, Neil
MacDonald.

Constable MacDonald also told 30 delegates at the drugs-awareness
forum in Thurso that there had been a huge increase in the use of
ecstasy in the Far North. The Class A drug now ranks jointly along
with amphetamines as the most commonly used illegal drug after
cannabis.

Constable MacDonald said some dealers were making healthy profits
through hydroponic production of cannabis. The sophisticated
water-based chemical process produces very strong cannabis, some of it
commonly known as skunk.

"It's bordering on being a very powerful hallucinogenic drug,"
Constable MacDonald told the forum.

"It's not being grown for their own use. Hydroponic units can fill
entire attics or garages and produce crops of very good quality with a
very good mark-up."

Constable MacDonald became the first area drugs officer three years
ago. There were eight or nine raids on hydroponic operations in
Caithness in the first year. He said: "We soon found that growing
cannabis in this way was a popular pastime in this area."

There have been no seizures this year but he believes this is not due
to any decrease in activity. He said: "I think to some extent we have
become victims of our own success as we learned how to catch them,
they were learning how to avoid being caught."

"I'm sure that it's still a good-going business."

So far this year, 166 ecstasy tablets have been seized in the area and
two men are facing trial over charges brought after a major seizure of
the drug last Hogmanay.

Constable MacDonald said the rise in popularity of the drug was very
worrying. He said: "The quantity of ecstasy coming into the county is
unbelievable. You can no longer say that drugs here is just about a
few young laddies having a bit of a blow. There's harder stuff here
and it's here big time."

"There are people living quite a high standard of life based on their
earnings from the sale of ecstasy and other controlled drugs."

Yesterday's forum was the first of four in Thurso and Wick this week.
The initiative is aimed at adults whose jobs involve working with
young people.

 

 

 

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