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Australia: ‘You have thrown your reputation away,’ magistrate tells former mayor sentenced on drugs charges

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Former Eurobodalla mayor Liz Innes has been fined $4000 and sentenced to two years of community service after being found guilty of possessing 76 marijuana plants with a street value of up to $250,000. She appeared in the Batemans Bay court today (27 February) for sentencing.

Ms Innes, 54, was charged earlier this month after police officers enquiring about another matter in the area drove into her Runnyford property and found a large number of plants being cultivated around the house and garden.

Police said Ms Innes admitted to owning the plants, which ranged from small seedlings to around 30 cm in height and were carefully tended.

A large number of family members and supporters were present in court when Ms Innes appeared for sentencing, represented by Keeley Boom. The court heard there had been significant substance abuse issues within her family. Ms Innes had suffered trauma of the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires where she fought to save her home from destruction while leading the community as mayor.

Ms Innes had been formally diagnosed with anxiety and depression following the fires. The economic and social impact of COVID and the breakdown of her marriage at the same time were also noted.

Criticism from the local community asking where the mayor was during the recovery period had deeply affected her. Ms Innes had been “at breaking point”, despite being proud of her achievements as mayor, including the new Bay Bridge and other significant local infrastructure.

After resigning as mayor, Ms Innes had “let the emotional load out” following an “extremely stressful period”. She had tried counselling during this period.

A family member was experiencing significant addiction to cannabis at a time when Ms Innes was unemployed, and her mother had also used CBD oil for pain relief.

At this time, a friend in Canberra gave Ms Innes a bag of marijuana seeds. She was “horrified” at how many germinated in the garden and the court heard she had never had any intention of selling the plants.

Ms Innes continues to suffer social anxiety and had been “drained” by the end of her marriage. Her youngest child was at the property when police arrived, and Ms Innes was aware of bringing “great shame on her entire family” through her arrest.

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‘You have thrown your reputation away,’ magistrate tells former mayor sentenced on drugs charges



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Asia Pacific & Australia

SOMAI Boss Says Australian Medical Cannabis Programme Is World Beater

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Respectfully we’d disagree – this is what he told Cannabiz Australia

 

The Australian medical cannabis industry may have its challenges, but its focus on affordable access and patient care make it a role model for the rest of the world, says SOMAÍ Pharmaceuticals chairman and CEO Michael Sassano. 

The Australian market has become one of only three significant global medical cannabis markets in the world.

Although all eyes are on the US potentially rescheduling the substance after Germany removed the narcotics label from cannabis medicines, the Australian market continues to expand faster than most because of the focus on what is best for patients and their experience.

Australia leads in cannabis choice and pricing

Doctor and patient relationships and freedom of choice for both parties help to form the foundation of a solid medical cannabis market. When the focus is on limiting access instead, problems arise.

Michael Sassano

For example, Israel only permits flower sales and limits other products, such as extracts. Germany’s market focuses on the magistral preparation of extracts with a minimal framework for different form factors like gel capsules or faster-acting excipients.

As another example, seniors in the US are a growing market that may consume cannabis in low dosages for arthritis. Their preferred administrative and dosage choice is a mild 1:50 gel capsule or edible format. With flower-only restrictions, they would have to roll a joint or use a smoking pipe instead. Massive market segments are being excluded from access because they simply don’t want to smoke.

Australia is far beyond other larger markets regarding choice with patients having close to 1,000 medical cannabis product choices. Giving options to doctors and patients is precisely what the cannabis-as-medicine movement has always been about, not a one-size-fits-all therapy program.

The country has also embraced lower consumer pricing, making daily medicine more affordable and accessible. All favourable consumer markets give patients ample choice and affordable pricing, providing access to everyday necessities.

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When it comes to access, the rest of the world should follow Australia’s example

 



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Australia .. My Wife Says I Should Be On The Board..but we don’t you on the board …..and so on and so forth

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These first two paras about sum up all that wrong with cannabis  biz in Australia.

As usual it has absolutely nothing to do with cannabis but Australia’s favourite sport after drinking and gambling, yes… “Board Bickering”

Pointless piled upon pointless =

If you want to bore yourself stupid with arguing Australians go to…..

Cronos vows to block former director’s return to the Vitura board

 



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Taiwan: Farmer faces prosecution over cannabis plants despite reporting them to police

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The Tapei Times

A farmer in Miaoli County faces prosecution after finding a packet of seeds by the roadside, which he took home and planted, only to find that they produced cannabis plants, police said.

Police on Thursday quoted the farmer, surnamed Yeh (葉), who is in his 50s, as saying that, in February, he found a packet of seeds on the ground next to a garbage bin on a rural road branching off Provincial Highway No. 3 near his farm in Miaoli’s Dahu Township (大湖).

He had always had an interest in cultivating plants, and as he was curious about the unidentified seeds, he took them home and planted some, Yeh said in a recorded statement to the police.

After three months, he found that three of the seeds had sprouted, but because the seedlings grew gradually he did not know what they were at first, Yeh said, adding that he later thought they looked like cannabis, but was still was unsure.

He asked the police to help him identify the plants, and when officers went to his home they found three healthy seedlings growing and a packet of about 800 seeds, which were identified as cannabis, police said.

The police said they confiscated the seedlings and the seeds, and took urine samples from Yeh, which came back clean.

A background check found that Yeh had no previous record of drug possession, but police said they had to follow procedure and took him to the Miaoli District Prosecutors’ Office for prosecution.

Cannabis is classified as a Category 2 narcotic under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), so Yeh must be prosecuted as he had planted the seeds and was in possession of cannabis plants, police said.

As Yeh reported the plants and seeds to the police he can expect a lesser sentence for unknowingly contravening the law, police said.

Earlier last week, police in Chiayi County conducted a raid in Fanlu Township (番路) and found cannabis oil products and pouches of “narcotic coffee powder” and tools for packaging.

A further search uncovered assorted narcotics inside a large polystyrene box labeled as fresh seafood and 20 packets of white powder, which turned out to be 7.3kg of heroin.

Police said it was one of the largest hauls of heroin found in Taiwan recently.

Testing found that the box contained one packet of amphetamine, 82 bottles of cannabis oil for vaping, one box of cannabis chocolates and nine pouches of mephedrone, police said.

Overall, judicial investigators estimated that the drugs seized had a street value of NT$40 million (US$1.26 million).

The house was rented by a man surnamed Tsai (蔡), who now faces prosecution.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2023/08/28/2003805402



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