Freak marijuana sweeps the UK, new varieties of marijuana exposed to shocking crime wave. Statistics show that marijuana was the most smuggled drug last year, surpassing all other drugs, with an estimated black market value of 2.6 billion pounds, equivalent to more than 100 billion baht.
The British media recently revealed a shocking truth that is quietly eroding British society. According to an in-depth investigation by the Sunday Sun, a new type of powerful marijuana is pouring into the streets at an unprecedented rate, triggering a terrible crime wave across the country.
Border Force data reveals a worrying picture: marijuana was the most widely smuggled drug in the country last year, surpassing all other drugs, with an estimated black market value of 2.6 billion pounds.
Authorities seized 85 tons of marijuana herb (an increase of 73% over the previous year) and 416 tons of marijuana resin (an increase of 183% over 2023). Despite the huge seizures, these illegal drugs are still circulating on the streets.
No, this is not the laughable marijuana of the past.
A new report from the University of West London has found a direct link between cannabis use and “an increased risk of physical violence, including assaults, sexual assaults, fights and robberies”.
“The link between cannabis and violence has been overlooked,” said Dr Simon Harding, a criminologist and one of the report’s authors. “When people call for the decriminalisation or legalisation of cannabis, many think of the laugh-out-loud cannabis of 30 or 40 years ago.”
“But what we are dealing with today is genetically modified Frankenstein cannabis, with extremely high levels of THC, which can cause users to become extremely paranoid.”
Dr Harding stressed that these high-potency strains can cause psychosis, citing the horrific case of Marcus Monzo, 37, who murdered 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin with a sword while he was in a psychotic episode from cannabis.
“Schizophrenia may not happen to everyone, but if you have an underlying predisposition or risk factor, it can be very serious, and mental hospitals across the UK are now filled with patients with schizophrenia triggered by cannabis.”
The domino effect of “liberalization”
The surge in the cannabis trade is partly due to the legalization of cannabis in several countries. Most of the 173 smuggling cases heard this year originated in Thailand. Thailand legalized cannabis three years ago, making it a serious problem, and the Thai government had to introduce new regulations last month to control it.
Canada and some US states have also become major exporters of cannabis. Harding added that the overseas marketing of cannabis is complicated, and consumers need to choose from an “a la carte” menu of more than 50 varieties.
“When other parts of the world legalize it, it will have a domino effect elsewhere.”
The first door to the world of youth crime opened
More worryingly, Dr. Harding’s report found that cannabis is “the first step for young people to go to violence and other crimes.”
“It’s the easiest way to lure kids into the county,” he explained. “Drug dealers will sell cannabis to children on ‘credit’ for a while. The children think they have made new friends and got free stuff. At the end of the month, the dealers will come back to collect the hundreds of pounds owed, and they have to sell drugs to pay it back.”
Despite the worrying data, London Mayor Sadiq Khan still called for the legalization of small amounts of cannabis, arguing that this move will solve the relationship between the police and ethnic minorities.
But in New York State, where cannabis is legalized in 2021, Senator Mario Martella warned that the move would be disastrous. “You can smell cannabis on every street here now. It’s terrible and it’s out of control. We have created a monster. What happened here should give you a warning,” he said.
Listen to a 13-year-old marijuana addict’s oral account: How much his life was ruined
Paul Hannaford, 55, was a drug addict who earned up to £500 (about 21,000 baht) a day from heroin and cocaine through theft and drug trafficking. By the age of 36, he had been stabbed seven times and imprisoned 15 times.
Paul was once a good student and a football genius, but everything changed when he came into contact with “marijuana” at the age of 13.
“If I hadn’t tried marijuana, I wouldn’t have become a criminal,” Paul said. “I started with marijuana. It made me lazy and affected my mental health. I was expelled from three schools in a year. No one starts their first drug use with crack or heroin. That’s the first door to disaster.”
