DutchNews.nl - Police want end to home marijuana growing

Police want end to home marijuana growing

Tuesday 24 July 2007

Current laws which turn a blind eye to private individuals growing up to five marijuana plants should be overturned, according to police drugs experts. They say small-scale growers can earn up to €3,000 a year from their home production.

Although growing marijuana plants is technically illegal, in practise the public prosecution department takes no action against people who grow up to five plants. Possession of up to five grammes of cannabis is similarly ignored.

Police drugs experts also want tougher sentencing for professional plantations. 'At the moment they get community service of 60 to 80 hours. There should be a clear signal that (marijuana production) is unacceptable,' detective Ben Janssen told the Volkskrant.

'Grow shops' which sell seeds, lamps and fertilisers should also be tackled, Janssen says. 'They are the way in for organised marijuana growing,' he said. Some 8,000 professional plantations are found in private homes, in commercial properties and in farm sheds every year, according to figures in the Telegraaf.

While some parts of the country already have a system of licences for 'grow shops', many places, including Amsterdam, do not, acording to the crime prevention centre CCV.

A licencing system allows the local authority to set a maximum number of shops and investigate the owners for potential criminal connections.

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Readers' comments

This is totally ridiculous. If the police want to prevent people to sell their produce so they can enforce selling ban. After all many people grow for themselves for three reasons, save money, hobby and not being involved in the coffeeshop mafia or the "scene".

If they want to reduce crime they should encourage people to grow themselves and not buy from coffee shops or dealers in the streets.

Its time the police will focus on crime and not (socially)harmless habits of people.

By Gianluigi | July 24, 2007 11:15 AM

Get involved while you can... :)

By Daniel | July 24, 2007 1:41 PM

The Police are 'logically challenged', were it not so serious it would be funny. The five plant rule is both anti-crime and anti-profit in its outcome. It is logical that any transition to flawed blanket prohibition of cannabis growing would, by inelastic demand theory be a crime creation initiative. It is self serving of initiative and does a discredit to the phrase drugs expert when used by Police in this social context. It is always curious that Police never seem to enter the debate on harm minimisation strategies but are quick to point out need for policy when it ensures expanding budgets.

By Blair Anderson | July 26, 2007 4:55 AM

Shame on Mr. Ben Janssen for this initiative! This is not the way to make a country's police force look busy, efficient or useful. Criminalize real criminals, not harmless home-growers.

Slowly but surely the prohibition's propaganda is making its mark in the Netherlands as well, thanks to Ben Janssen and his friends who have nothing better to do with their time.

By BC | July 27, 2007 1:04 PM

This is a silly suggestion. The Netherlands is a mecca of tolerance diversity and harmony. Police should get down to fighting real criminals and lay off the five-plant law.

By c SMITH | October 7, 2009 4:46 AM

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