Cannabis industry decries dagga bust as knock for growers

While the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) brag about their biggest dagga bust yet, the cannabis industry said it was a big knock for the growers and industry as a whole.

Commissioner Yolanda Faro said TMPD made their biggest dagga bust on Wednesday when a tipoff led them to compressed-dagga to the street value of approximately R1.5 million on the N1.

Biggest dagga bust yet

“The TMPD followed up on information about a vehicle transporting compressed dagga. They intercepted the vehicle with the trailer marked diesel.

“The diesel trailer was hallowed out and filled up to the brim with compressed dagga.

“The dagga was confiscated on the N1 on its way to Johannesburg with an estimated street value of R1.5 million,” she said.

Two suspects were arrested.

“We want to send a strong message out to people transporting drugs and selling drugs… the TMPD will zoom in on anybody transporting and selling drugs.

“We take this very seriously and we want to continue with these types of operations.”

Faro appealed to the public to share any information that can help fight crime.

“They can report it to us anonymously,” she said.

ALSO READ: Police discover R3m heroine and R1.5m dagga in a ‘fuel tank’

Win for law, loss for farmer

However, cannabis activist Walter Pretoria aka Aaptwak, said it might be a big win for the police, but a big loss for the rural farmer.

“The cannabis confiscated comes from rural farmers and is most likely someone’s bread and butter for the month.

“It doesn’t matter where it came from, the farmer who grew that cannabis took a big knock and those along the supply chain,” he said.

Pretorius said it was sad because it was money and hard work down the drain.

“Many people don’t think it’s a craft growing dagga, but it (is) not as easy as it seems, it takes a lot of money and hard work.”

Fields of Green for All founder Myrtle Clark said because the bust was so big authorities would have a hard time getting a conviction because there were no amounts in law that would justify the charge.

Clark said these types of busts happened everywhere from the Western Cape, Klerksdorp, North West, Johannesburg and the most recent bust in Pretoria.

“These are only cases we hear about at Fields of Green for ALL. We are certain there are many more.

“This is the ugly face of prohibition. Pot shops continue to open up every day on every second street corner, operating with any number of dodgy licences,” she said.

ALSO READ: Marijuana worth R30 million and prohibited firearms seized in Western Cape bust

Rather focus on inequality and corruption

Clark described it as unfortunate.

“The police received a tipoff, called the media, and swooped on a vehicle on the N1 outside Pretoria.

“Here at Fields of Green for ALL we have enough experience to know that the large amount of dagga came from a rural area where the farmers are just trying to put food on the table,” she said.

Clark said there was no attention being paid to the corruption and malfeasance on the part of the police and the inequality that shouts from the #StopTheCops Arrest Helpline EVERY DAY.

“Yes, we have come a long way since the days of 1 000 busts a day – but we are not free until we are all free,” she said.