POTTY - COPS QUIZ BEECHGROVE RADIO TEAM WHO GAVE CANNABIS GROWER ADVICE

The Star Of The Beech Grove Garden Gave Tips Live On Air To A Phone-In
Caller Trying To Grow Cannabis.

Pensioners' favourite Jim McColl was caught off guard when the cheeky dope
head asked him how to boost his illegal harvest.

He and his colleagues now face being interviewed by police.

Jim and the Beech grove team spent more than three minutes telling the man
which compost to use and how to feed and water the plants. Then the host of
the show told the caller: "OK, much success then. Keep going."

Later, the stars of Radio Scotland's Beech grove Potting Shed said they
thought the man was talking about CABBAGE, not cannabis.

But BBC bosses were last night trying to work out how the show ended up
discussing dope. And an archive version of the programme was being kept off
the BBC web site.

Police said they were also making inquiries. But the Beech grove stars
insisted they never realised the caller was talking about cannabis, even
though he mentioned the drug on air.

Show presenter Frieda Morrison said they thought they were giving advice on
growing cabbage. The caller spoke about a strain of dope called Northern
Lights, which is also the name of a cabbage variety.

The weekly Radio Scotland phone-in invites listeners to "come in from the
garden, take off your wellies and relax for an hour every Sunday".

But things got a little too relaxed when the dope grower, calling himself
Joe McLaughlin from Perth, got on air at 12.25 pm on Sunday.

He began by telling Jim and the panel: "I've learned so much from you all
over the years. I really appreciate it."

But then the trouble started. The caller said: "I recently bought a
propagator and I seem to be having no luck at all.

"Can you give me any advice on what I'm doing wrong?"

Jim, 68, then asked the caller what kind of cuttings he was talking about.

"Joe" replied: "It's a hybrid of cannabis called Nothern Lights. It's a
very hardy variety."

Jim, apparently not having heard properly, went on: "All right, so they are
soft wood cuttings, but at this time of the year?"

"Joe" said he was trying to grow the plants all year round, in water-filled
containers with large perspex tops.

Jim replied: "I have had no experience of that whatsoever. But I find a
50-50 mix of peat and sand is very good.

"If these are herbacious cuttings, and I don't know the plant you're
talking about, but if they are, you have to be very, very attentive." Jim's
colleague on the panel, expert Frances Pringle, then suggested "Joe" was
rotting his plants by over-filling the containers with water.

She said: "I wouldn't keep it filled with water. Use gravel at the bottoms
of the pots to let the water drain away.

"Try to keep the cuttings from drying out, but you have to strike a balance
between keeping them moist and letting them rot."

Jim then advised "Joe" to keep his plants at a temperature of 17 degrees,
and suggested buying better growing equipment and using a soil nutrient.

"Joe" gave his thanks, and Frieda sent him on his way with her good-luck
message.

The panel chatted about more mundane gardening problems for the rest of the
hour-long show, without once mentioning the cannabis call.

The BBC confirmed they were investigating. But a spokesman insisted: "None
of the presenters made out what plant the caller was talking about.

"Jim was giving general advice on how to use a propagator. Frieda has
explained that they thought the caller was talking about a cabbage there is
an ornamental cabbage called Northern Lights."

But Northern Lights is also the name of a powerful strain of herbal
cannabis, popular in the hash bars of Amsterdam.

Strathclyde Police said they were looking into the incident and had
contacted Radio Scotland. They are involved because the phone-in was
broadcast from Glasgow.

Tayside Police were also planning to investigate, because the caller said
he came from Perth.

Cannabis was downgraded from a class B illegal drug to class C last week.
But police in Scotland claim they will still arrest users.