UK - Gangs at war in bid to control cannabis business

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edgarshade

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Yorkshire Post

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Published on Monday 7 January 2013 06:00

With reader comments

TENS of thousands of marijuana plants have been seized across the region in the past year, with police warning of a worrying rise in violence between drug gangs attempting to take on their south east Asian counterparts to secure a foothold in the multi-million pound industry.

National figures have revealed an “explosion” in trade in high-strength skunk cannabis in the past year, with a marked rise in shootings and gang-related violence.

The lucrative industry and perceived soft punishments for those caught setting up cannabis factories mean many local gangs involved in dealing Class A drugs are now forcing their way into a business traditionally dominated by Vietnamese and other south east Asian criminal groups.

The number of gangs now involved in setting up the cannabis factories means many are now targeting rural areas as places to grow the drug undetected.
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Bryan Dent, West Yorkshire Police drugs co-ordinator, said the problem was being mirrored across the region and was a “cause of concern”.

“We have seen in the past intrinsic links between south east Asian organised crime gangs, particularly Vietnamese, with links with people trafficking. Now many indigenous organised crime groups are coming through,” he added.

“Gangs involved in Class A distribution are diversifying into cannabis cultivation. The cannabis market is massive.

“We are alert to the fact of what has happened in Merseyside... but we also think the mechanisms we have got in place have lessened the impact on West Yorkshire communities.”

Mr Dent says the market has now become saturated with potent skunk more than double the strength it used to be and linked to a string of mental health problems. In West Yorkshire, the average strength of the drug is around 21 per cent, far above the national average of 16 per cent.

Mr Dent says he fears the widespread use of skunk could be a “mental health timebomb” for young people in the region.
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More...
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news...in-bid-to-control-cannabis-business-1-5285043
 
Maybe increasing prison sentences and warning people about the dangers of marijuana will do the trick.
 
Portillo said:
Maybe increasing prison sentences and warning people about the dangers of marijuana will do the trick.
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cannabis classified as a class A? this no doubt will be part of the tory manifesto for the next general election
 
nastypoker said:
They aren't going to win, so they can say what they like.
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Labour have exactly the same moronic drug policy. MDMA was made class-A in 1977 when they were in power and fresh magic mushrooms were made class-A in 2005 when they were in power.

So it doesn't matter who you vote for either :(
 
Who else is going to run the drug trade if its illegal? If only there was another way to get it out of the hands of criminals killing each other...
 
edgarshade said:
Labour have exactly the same moronic drug policy. MDMA was made class-A in 1977 when they were in power and fresh magic mushrooms were made class-A in 2005 when they were in power.

So it doesn't matter who you vote for either :(
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i have never understood how mdma was made class A yet amphetamine (speed) was class B, i assumed this was due to popularity and trying to scare people
 
they should lock up the criminals and seize their muskets and knives lol

wasnt MDMA made illegal way after 1977 in this country?

the fact that its in a diff scheduling category is probably the same reason as it is here in the states, there are rx speed pills that are CII (class B) while MDMA is highly abusable and has no "accepted" medical use which is BS
 
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