By Chris Bovey
A Facebook post by Bournemouth police boasting about using a police helicopter to locate and dismantle a small cannabis grow backfired in the comments section.
Bournemouth South Police announced on Facebook they had used a police helicopter to “capture any irregular heat sources in the area using thermal imagery”.
This led to over 1,000 Facebook users leaving a comment on South Bournemouth Police’s Facebook page that normally only gets a couple of likes on a post and rarely gets a comment. To say nearly all of the feedback was not positive is an understatement.
Many people expressed concern at wasting vast police resources, including a helicopter, to go after a plant that is legal in much of the world and is known for its therapeutic medicinal properties.
The cost of using a police helicopter in the UK is reported to be £1,700 an hour, money it was suggested could be used to tackle more serious crimes at a time when police resources have been overstretched due to ten years of Tory austerity measures.
The Internet hits back
Some comments were sarcastic in tone, such as, Kirsty Louise, who said she’ll “definitely sleep sounder tonight”, adding “that is, if, the very expensive helicopter isn’t up at 2 am again. Obviously doing very important work like it was last night. I’m happy my Council Tax is being spent on important things like this. Not like Westbourne needs the funding elsewhere”.
Ian Dootson, pointed out the medicinal properties of cannabis, predicting it would be legalised in the future: “I can’t wait to show things like this to my daughter when she is grown and we’ll laugh together, because her friends will grow up in a time where cannabis is seen as what it really is. A plant, medicinal plant that is also an industrial Godsend! Only the primitive believe this plant is dangerous. Can’t wait for that way of thinking to die off.”
Veteran cannabis campaigner, Jeff Ditchfield, from Bud Buddies, who supply cannabis oil to sick people including terminally ill cancer patients, pointed out he had supplied cannabis oil along with Jeremey Kyle to a police officer for her cancer suffering child, asking if they want to arrest him, adding “no helicopters required.”
Watch Jeff supply cannabis oil to a police officer for her child who suffers from cancer: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1722429281144820
Stacey Brook from Spain pointed out she runs a cannabis association in Spain and can attest to the many people who use cannabis over there medically … including retired police officers!
As well as pointing out the waste of money using a police helicopter to track down a small amount of cannabis, other commenters observed on the poor quality of the weed, which from the police photo appeared to be mainly shade leaf and twigs in the evidence bags displayed.
Tory hypocrisy
Others were quick to point out the hypocrisy of the government, which has given Home Office licenses to husbands of Conservative MPs to legally grow and distribute medicinal cannabis for the export market.
Paul Kenward, married to Tory MP and junior Home Office Minister, Victoria Atkins, Managing Director of British Sugar, who legally grow 45 acres of cannabis in one of Europe’s largest greenhouses, based in Wissington, Norfolk, England. While ex-PM Theresa May’s husband, Philip May, is an investment relationship manager for Capital Group that has a 22% share in GW Pharmaceuticals, who the government permits to make legal cannabis-based medicines.
John White of Bournemouth Cannabis Social Club told Feed The Birds: “The only thing this person has done wrong is not obtaining a license from the Home Office. The chances are they wouldn’t have got one though, it seems you have to be well in with one of the top dogs to get one of them. I mean let’s look at British Sugar, for example, the world’s biggest exporters of medical cannabis, but it’s ok because both Theresa May and Victoria Atkins’ husbands both profit out of that considerably.”
The last time I went to Bournemouth, I remember seeing much disgraceful yobbish behaviour by youngsters who had had too much alcohol to drink, so I couldn’t resist leaving a comment too.
I couldn’t resist joining in the festive piss-taking.
Chris Bovey is a businessman, writer, artist, musician and practical joker. He lives in Devon with his partner, two children and cat. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter @ADHD_BadBoy.
This is hypocrisy of the government its for medical use and should have never been looked at