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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Papua New Guinea: Marijuana Vice Deeply Rooted
ccguide Friday 12 May 2000 Pubdate: Thu, 11 May 2000 Source: Post-Courier (Papua New Guinea) Copyright: 2000 Post-Courier Contact: Fax: (675) 320 1781 Address: P.O. Box 85, Port Moresby, National Capital District, Papua New Guinea Website: http://www.postcourier.com.pg MARIJUANA VICE DEEPLY ROOTED MARIJUANA cultivation, trade and use in PNG is much greater than people realise, Police Minister Mathias Karani told Parliament yesterday. PNG now serves a large domestic and international market with the value of locally cultivated marijuana trading for up to K300 a kilogram, he said. Many coffee, tea and vegetable growers are more interested in growing marijuana and in some areas it is used as a form of currency in exchange for food and other essential items. Marijuana cultivation has taken place mainly in the Highlands region but in recent years there has been an increase in cultivation in the Tapini area of Central Province, he said. "It follows then that NCD has become a major distribution point for the sale of drugs," Mr Karani said. "Cannabis (marijuana) is now conveyed by air, land and sea to all major coastal centres around Papua New Guinea. "Cannabis from various areas throughout Eastern, Western and Southern Highlands and Chimbu are conveyed to the north through the international ports of Wewak, Madang and Lae and to the south through Kikori and Kerema in the Gulf Province and more recently through Tabubil, Kiunga, Balimo, Fly River and Daru in Western Province." Mr Karani said marijuana from the Highlands is also shipped around to Alotau in Milne Bay where it is off-loaded or continues on to Port Moresby. Lae is also used as a transit point onto the Islands region, he said. "A current international operations confirmed yet again that Lae was used as a trans-shipment port following the seizure of cannabis in a container in Townsville, North Queensland," he said. "Cannabis is also being grown in Irian Jaya along the Western Province border and being conveyed into PNG for sale and barter. "Children as young as seven and eight years of age are known to be regular users of cannabis. Seizures between 10 and 60 kilograms (of marijuana) are not uncommon." The National Drug Task Force is continuously involved in search and eradication operations in known drug areas, but Mr Karani expressed concern about the lack of strong laws to deter drug-related crimes. "For some years now the constabulary has been trying to introduce a new drug bill into Parliament. This Act, the National Drug (Criminal Offences) Act caters for all types of drugs and offences with increased penalties and needs to be passed and implemented as soon as possible. "It is the considered opinion of the Commissioner of Police that the Act being promoted by the National Narcotics Bureau is inadequate and inappropriate to deal with the criminal aspects of dangerous drugs." - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk
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