News about marijuana, hashish & drug policy

Marijuana growing books ostracized in Sweden

Details

Published on Thursday, 11 April 2013 12:58

Swedish Radio (public service) has been struck by moral panic. Through the big online book stores it has been possible to buy growing guides for cannabis. But since the program Culture News on Swedish Radio reported on this, the book sellers chickened out and stopped litterature of this nature.
The official reason for these actions is that the information in those books could be an incitement to crime. The chancellor of justice is to investigate this matter with regard to freedom of speech.

Severe critic from JO against Swedish police

Details

Published on Tuesday, 09 April 2013 17:24

The Swedish Ombudsman of Justice (JO) directs severe criticism of the Police Authority in Dalarna, who forced a person suspected of a minor drug offence to leave a urine sample through a catheter.
Also there was coercive measure without any formal decision taken, which is being judged as totally unacceptable.

Cannabis Energy drink banned in city of Västerås

Details

Published on Friday, 22 March 2013 00:21

Today municipal food and health inspectors banned the sales of Cannabis Energy Drink in the Swedish city of Västerås. The shop owner was threatened with police action if the product wasn't withdrawn. Their argumentation is to say the least creative.

When interviewed by Swedish public service radio inspector Björn Sjölund says that since hemp is the commonly used word for food products derived from the cannabis plant the name cannot be cannabis.

The difference between soft drinks and soft drugs

Details

Published on Thursday, 21 March 2013 10:10

SR (the Swedish Public Service radio) reports about a store in Västerås that is selling Cannabis Energy drink containing extracts of hemp seeds.
The owner of the shop gets to express his views in the story and so does a fundamentalist from RNS (Drugfree Sweden Organization).

The drug warrior Staffan Hübinette reveals his ignorance by responding to a question from the reporter in a totally irrelevant way. The reporter asks if this isn't all about a marketing ploy? Staffan does not think so. He firmly believes that Dutch soft drink entrepreneurs want to promote the cannabis drug.

Not legal?

An uninformed inspector of the governmental Food Administration manifests her ignorance with the somewhat bombastic statement that the sale of the beverage in question would be unlawful. (!) This is because a cannabis leaf is visible on the can and therefore the product should contain plant material, which in this case prohibited.
Since the beverage in question only contains seed extract, it can according to the inspector be a case of deceiving consumers who believes the drink contains actual cannabis plant and not seeds. In this case no one seems to see it clearly. The fact that the leaf is part of the brand logo and that the drink actually contains seeds doesen't seem to be important in drug war hysteric Sweden.