By Richard Shrubb

Considering in our estimates it took 55 hours of frontline police time to bust a woman with a gramme of cannabis, the answer to the lightbulb question is going to be very high indeed:

Planning operation: 5 hours

Admin staff calling in the fire brigade for a ladder: 2 hours + paperwork

Clearing entire building in case of a shock hazard: 1 hour

Clearing access for the fire brigade to access corridor with errant lightbulb.

Jeeze! North Wales Police don’t do anything by half do they?

On the 24th July, North Wales Police proudly announced they had raided a single mother’s home and found some weed. Not just any weed, but cannabis weed that can make you giggle a bit and make you want cake or pizza after inhaling its fumes.

According to one of the UK’s top cannabis legalisation campaigners, Jeff Ditchfield, “This “successful” warrant was executed by over a dozen officers who arrived at the property yesterday at 8.30 am in 2 vans and two cars, The NWP officers remained at the property until lunchtime.”

Assuming ‘lunchtime’ meant 12:30 and adding in the briefing and transportation time, not to mention planning time before, we are talking in excess of 55 hours of frontline police time busting so much weed that one person could inhale the lot in 10 minutes.

In the comments of the proud NWP police Facebook announcement, Jeff continued, “This “successful” warrant was executed against a Mum and her two young children who were in tears and traumatised by the raid and one gramme of cannabis was recovered with the “culprit” being issued a “street caution”.

The police announcement of the successful raid should make any dealer’s bowels move as they are prepared to put in more than a week of an individual policeman’s working hours just for a gramme – if you have 20 grammes? That would make the police operation to hide protestors from President Trump when he visited look a toddler’s tea party … (Oh sorry, it was wasn’t it?)

Sadly, NWP aren’t the only ones who have gone for low hanging fruit and made a fuss about busting a tiny amount. In our article, West Yorkshire Police Polish Tiny Turds we showed how that force had made a fuss about busting a man with a joint in a secluded spot in the countryside.

Policing ‘close to breaking point’

Jeff pointed to the Daily Post’s article where the NWP Chief Constable whined that they don’t have enough resources to deal with all the crime they have to deal with.

According to the newspaper, “North Wales’ top cop says policing is “close to breaking point”, with crime expected to have risen by as much as 33% by the end of the financial year. Chief Constable Mark Polin made the grim assessment as he revealed that sex offences against children is up by 34% year-on-year, and domestic abuse by 44%. The rises come against a backdrop of cuts of nearly £30m to the force’s budget between 2011 and next year – a 20% reduction in resources.”

Those staff they do are taking lots of sick leave due to the increased demands on their time. Yes, the bacon is getting burned and the government is turning the heat up on the pan.

Social media bites back

The response from the Facebook public wasn’t exactly encouraging for the Force.

One commenter said:

“I was so pleased upon hearing about this operation, that I didn’t mind the fact that my grandmother had just been robbed and my friends sister sexually assaulted; when there isn’t funds to investigate those crimes. At least, when I see this, I can understand why, and appreciate the sacrifice my friends and family made to prevent a mother from consuming a devastating plant. I can only begin to imagine how traumatised she would have been after taking it. It would make my grandmother’s PTSD look mild. Sterling work, keep up the gold. True heroes.”

Meanwhile, a non-weed smoking Christian got very fired up:

“Waste of fucking petrol never mind resources and taxpayers money I’m a Christian and don’t even smoke cannabis and if I’m saying it should be legalised they sure as hell should be!!! Dumb fucks only do what they are told since Pharmaceutical companies will lose billions of pound same with alcohol.. think who would stand to lose money if it’s legalised not only that GW PHARMACEUTICALS in the uk are growing massive farms up in north Wales and Kent it’s because they are growing on the governments turf they can’t have that now can they… check it out gw pharmaceuticals and get this our own prime minister and drug Minister has shares in the fucking company.”

I’m sure you the reader may have something to say on this too so go ahead and put your thoughts on their Facebook Page.

Richard is a marijuana, water sports and electric vehicles writer based in Dorchester, Dorset. Living in Prince Charles model housing estate, Poundbury, he is an avowed republican, community and Labour Party activist. Visit his website at www.richardshrubb.com for more about what he does.