Gothenburg: Police with license to waste

A dramatic, spectacular and massive police operation took place in Tuve outside Sweden’s second biggest city of Gothenburg earlier this week. Four police patrol cars and one helicopter were used in an attempt to apprehend two individuals suspected of “smoking a joint” according to a police media spokesperson.

A civilian passing the scene in his car also got involved when a policeman chasing the suspects on foot requested a lift. The driver said to media that he drove the policeman in his car well above legal speed limits.

Photo from Polisen.se

One of the suspects wasn’t even apprehended, in spite of the massive action from Gothenburgs finest…
Swedish police is not in a very good spot right now. For years the organisation has had problems with a reorganisation that never seems to get completed. Since not so many are attracted to the police job, the amount of policemen and -women is not what it should be. In order to fill the classes on the police academy they even had to reduce the admission requirements so people with an even lower IQ could get accepted to the police training.

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Andreas Thörn convicted

The surprisingly mild verdict (he got acquitted) that Andreas Thörn, a 37 y o man from the city of Västerås  received in last August in the lower District Court of Västmanland, was appealed by the  general prosecutor in his case.
Andreas had been cultivating and consuming cannabis in order to fight the pain that he contracted some 30 years ago in connection with a traffic accident. Last Thursday the result was published from the higher court -Hovrätten- in Stockholm.  The verdict was a disappointment for all of us that were hoping for a reprise of the previous one. 

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Swedish man acquitted in court for growing medical marijuana

Yesterday was a historical day for all of us who want to see medical cannabis reintroduced as a legal available medicine in Sweden. 
Andreas Thörn, 36, from the city of Västerås was (to his delight and big surprise) acquitted in the lower District Court of Västmanland for growing his own medical marijuana at home.

The “crime” he committed was growing and using cannabis to ease his pain, which he contracted some 20 years ago in a motorcycle accident. Ever since then he has been in a wheelchair. Cannabis seems to be the only medicine that works in this case.

Andreas has been through all the legal alternatives without any success.
The sentence means that Andreas will get back almost 100 grams of home grown weed, which the cops are being forced to return to him.

This is unheard of in Sweden with one of the toughest drug laws in the western world. Even for mere consumption there is a maximum penalty of 6 months in prison. Formally there is no such thing as medicinal cannabis in Sweden and the only allowed medicines containing it are Sativex and Marinol. But these are very hard to get and are not subsidized by the government which results in high expenses for the patients.

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Modern uses

Swedish customs staff grew marijuana at work

When not even Swedish customs officials refrain from cultivating marijuana isn't it high time to legalize the plant?
It may be that the grow was limited and included only a few plants, but still, the two custom officers were doing this during working hours and the plants were found adjacent to their office.

Now the two officials from Helsingborg in southern Sweden has been reported to the police for their unauthorized project. The Acting Chief Prosecutor Mats Ericsson emphasizes that the grow was very small. Normally when Swedish citizens get caught doing this the tone isn't this lenient.
The title of the notification is misconduct, but according to Ericsson the classification can be modified to a drug offense. Swedish Customs Agency has proved indifferent to offer further comment about the incident.

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Marijuana growing books ostracized in Sweden

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.

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Severe critic from JO against Swedish police

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.

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