LAB TEST FINDS NEW ZEALAND'S MOST POTENT POT

A jailed Northland cannabis grower who escaped forfeiture of his coastal
property produced the most potent cannabis tested in New Zealand, the High
Court at Auckland was told recently.

James Stuart Fisher and wife Mary Fisher used their four hectare Kerikeri
property, known as Black Rocks Retreat on Inlet Rd, to grow cannabis in a
sophisticated underground operation.

The Solicitor-General had sought a forfeiture order under Proceeds of Crime
legislation, but Justice Harrison ruled that would be too harsh.

Instead Mr Fisher was ordered to pay $75,000 for allowing his home to be
used to grow cannabis between 1999 and 2002.

Evidence presented during the hearing found the crop was the most potent
ever tested by Environmental Science and Research.

Police requested the cannabis be tested after there was a dispute over the
value and quality of the cannabis grown in the two buried water tanks.

An ESR scientist tested the plant for the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC) -- the active ingredient of cannabis.

From a bucket of cannabis, 22 random samples were tested and contained
levels of up to 19 per cent. Only two of the samples contained less than 12
per cent THC.

The scientist said tests of hydroponically grown cannabis before 1997 showed
the most potent was 8.8 per cent.

Officer in charge of the case Detective Sergeant Russell Price, of Kaikohe
police, said the cannabis was the best he had ever seen.

"I've worked in Kaikohe for 10 years and cannabis is a day-to-day stuff for
us ... but this was the best stuff I have seen," Mr Price said.

Mr Fisher was sentenced to two years nine months jail while his wife was
fined $1000 and sentenced to two years supervision.

Justice Harrison said the couple would suffer undue hardship if their
$750,000 property, which they had owned for 17 years, was forfeited.

He said it would be "grossly disproportionate" to the gravity of the
couple's offending.