MARIJUANA VICE DEEPLY ROOTED

MARIJUANA cultivation, trade and use in PNG is much greater than people
realise, Police Minister Mathias Karani told Parliament yesterday.

PNG now serves a large domestic and international market with the value of
locally cultivated marijuana trading for up to K300 a kilogram, he said.
Many coffee, tea and vegetable growers are more interested in growing
marijuana and in some areas it is used as a form of currency in exchange for
food and other essential items.

Marijuana cultivation has taken place mainly in the Highlands region but in
recent years there has been an increase in cultivation in the Tapini area of
Central Province, he said.

"It follows then that NCD has become a major distribution point for the sale
of drugs," Mr Karani said.

"Cannabis (marijuana) is now conveyed by air, land and sea to all major
coastal centres around Papua New Guinea.

"Cannabis from various areas throughout Eastern, Western and Southern
Highlands and Chimbu are conveyed to the north through the international
ports of Wewak, Madang and Lae and to the south through Kikori and Kerema in
the Gulf Province and more recently through Tabubil, Kiunga, Balimo, Fly
River and Daru in Western Province."

Mr Karani said marijuana from the Highlands is also shipped around to Alotau
in Milne Bay where it is off-loaded or continues on to Port Moresby. Lae is
also used as a transit point onto the Islands region, he said.

"A current international operations confirmed yet again that Lae was used as
a trans-shipment port following the seizure of cannabis in a container in
Townsville, North Queensland," he said. "Cannabis is also being grown in
Irian Jaya along the Western Province border and being conveyed into PNG for
sale and barter.

"Children as young as seven and eight years of age are known to be regular
users of cannabis. Seizures between 10 and 60 kilograms (of marijuana) are
not uncommon."

The National Drug Task Force is continuously involved in search and
eradication operations in known drug areas, but Mr Karani expressed concern
about the lack of strong laws to deter drug-related crimes.

"For some years now the constabulary has been trying to introduce a new drug
bill into Parliament. This Act, the National Drug (Criminal Offences) Act
caters for all types of drugs and offences with increased penalties and
needs to be passed and implemented as soon as possible.

"It is the considered opinion of the Commissioner of Police that the Act
being promoted by the National Narcotics Bureau is inadequate and
inappropriate to deal with the criminal aspects of dangerous drugs."