User:PoizonMyst/Cannabis in Australia

Cannabis in Australia
Wikipedians are invited to help expand on this artcle idea. Discussion.

This section requires CLEAN-UP as the article has now been created (see below). There may be additional information available to expand on the article.

For addition to one of the main articles:
 * Cannabis in Australia (Woohoo someone's done it! Article created 28 July 2009)
 * Hemp (perhaps in the "History" section)
 * Cannabis (perhaps under the section "Aspects of Cannabis production and use")
 * Cannabis (drug) cultivation (maybe creating a section "History of Cultivatiing Cannabis(drug)")
 * Sir Joseph Banks (perhaps an addition to introduction that cannabis was first introduced to Australia by Joseph Banks - historical importance "Hunter Valley crop was intimately linked with the founding of Australia")(quoted from forum link)

Draft article text
The origin of cannabis cultivation and use in Australia began with acclaimed botanist Sir Joseph Banks who arranged to have hemp seed sent to Australia from East India for the production of sails, uniforms, oakum, and rope. "The British government encouraged the hemp industry with bounties, grants of land, and free seed in all its colonies." (quoted from forum link) In 1803 Governer King wrote to Joseph Banks stating, "From a pint of hemp-seed, sent from India in 1802, I have now sown 10 acres for Government. A specimen of the rope is round the box that Cayley sends you, which I have desired may be carefully preserved. It grows with the utmost luxuriance, and is generally from 6 to 10 feet in height." (quoted from forum link)

The reference to "hemp-seed, sent from India" suggests that Governer King was in fact growing C. indica rather than C. sativa (preferred for its fibre quality) for his hemp production, as a distinction between cannabis varieties was yet to be made.

"Cannabis cigarettes, known variously as Joy’s Cigarettes or Cannadonna cigarettes, were also widely advertised in colonial Australia as a cure for asthma." (quoted from forum link)

On November 16, 1964 media reported that "the dreaded sex drug, marihuana" had been discovered growing wild along a 65km stretch of the Hunter River. It is now believed this prolific crop had resulted from colonial cultivation by the "Bell brothers — Archibald Bell and William Sims Bell — the first white settlers of Singleton in the Upper Hunter in 1823." (quoted from forum link) "Their father, Archibald Bell, believed that Australia should be a colony for the production of hemp and argued this case before the Bigge Royal Commission in 1819." (quoted from forum link) "In those days the view that Australia should be a hemp colony was widespread."(quoted from forum link)

Where historically the cultivation of hemp had been important to the colonisation of Australia, the Hunter Valley discovery became a catalyst for marijuana prohibition in the country.

The Maitland Mercury, a local newspaper, revealed that “the plant did not need any special preparation. Flowering tops of the female plant or the leaves could be cut and dried and used immediately.” (quoted from forum link) Emboldened with curiosity, people began to search out the wild Hunter Valley cannabis for recreational use.

"The day after the story of the Hunter Valley crop broke, Inspector Blake of the Maitland Police warned “would-be marihuana hunters” that they would be charged with “possession of a narcotic”. As the Maitland Mercury reported: ‘Police fear that Maitland’s wild marihuana will fall into the hands of narcotic agents or teenagers “out for kicks.”’" (quoted from forum link)

"The day after the Hunter Valley crop was discovered, the NSW Department of Agriculture announced it would immediately begin a campaign of eradication: cannabis was classified as a noxious weed under the Local Government Act, and all hemp plants were to be destroyed." (quoted from forum link) The Customs Department eventually "estimated that 200 hectares of the Hunter Valley were heavily infested with cannabis, and the largest patch was over 40 hectares in size." (quoted from forum link)

Reports published by the Department of Customs and Excise confirm "farmers were being paid a bounty if they successfully dobbed in a weed raider." (quoted from forum link)

"The first busts of any size in Australia happened in the Hunter." (quoted from forum link)

Ultimately it took five years to exterminate the wild Hunter Valley crop in which time recreational use of cannabis became widespread over the east coast of Australia.

The eradication of the Hunter valley crop in the late 1960's meant recreational cannabis could only be sourced from international import of the drug or outdoor cultivation. In the 1980's indoor cultivation of cannabis for recreational use became popular in Australia.

"Now, the annual report of the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence states: "Domestic production of hydroponically grown cannabis appears to have reduced the demand for imported herbal cannabis."(source High Times link)

External resource links

 * L.E.A.P Australia - History of Prohibition includes a History of Drugs in Australia - confirms material discussed at Cannagraphic Forums.
 * International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums (Get research links for the history shown in this post)
 * Herer, Jack. Internet edition of The Emperor Wears No Clothes
 * High Times - Global Harvest Report - Australia
 * Jiggens, Dr John. Marijuana Australiana: Cannabis use, popular culture and the Americanisation of drugs policy in Australia, 1938-1988 QUT Thesis.
 * Speech transcript Lee Rhiannan MLC of the NSW Greens at the launch of Dr John Jiggens book The Sydney Connection on 04 May 2004.
 * Dr J Jiggens' personal website.
 * Hemp cultivation Contract between Sir Joseph Banks, Edward Porter and others. 1st April 1801. Further primary source papers can be accessed at this site.
 * Australia as a Hemp colony