Its a news report which isn't even newsworthy anymore. "Cannabis farm busted - Vietnamese in custody". We're like, "so what", right?

A cop from Lancashire recently coined the term "for every marijuana farm we bust another 10 run successfully," and I wouldn't take issue with that in the slightest.

The fact is under the present regime its all too easy to set up a cannabis factory.

But if you want to stop the cannabis factories opening up all over the country in the first place its a simple task. Create an environment in which they don't work, or are not needed anymore by allowing citizens to grow their own. Its a policy which works in other EU states, and one that has a proven track record in harm reduction.

Not-Quite-So-United Nations
Holland, Portugal and Belgium allow cannabis users to grow enough for themselves, whilst retaining the respective nations holy grail, UN membership.

Yet under the current system here in the UK its easy to take advantage of a seedy, underworld-esque styled culture, to set up what can easily become a profitable enterprise, hidden in the shadows of a social issue which isn't allowed a fair hearing. A lifestyle choice which was tried, and hanged on the front pages many years ago.

Charismatic
Many charismatic leaders have tried and failed in the drug issue. 

The MOST charismatic and influential are the rock stars and the Hollywood 'A listers' who are outed as drug users on a daily basis.

I'm really sorry to have to tell you but listening to Jack Nicholson reminiscing about the bad old days is a lot more entertaining than listening to an advertisment which uses a David Attenborough sound-a-like as narrator.  Thats what we're up against, but thats NOT as bad as it gets.

Bad is officially, good
In a bizarre 'reverse psychology', even death is not enough to put people off drugs. The news of Heath Ledgers untimely demise is only likely to increase the amount of people experimenting with the long list of drugs the Brokeback star has become associated with since the story broke.

Some news reports are like a "freshmans" menu. A "what to ask for"guide for the uninitiated and perhaps most scary of all, is the fact the majority of the drugs listed are available for free, in mum and dads medicine cabinet.

PR
Now thats what I call "direct" marketing. A campaign that would have cost millions had a PR company conceived it!? The only thing missing is a celebrity endorsement.

But that was before "Lost" cast member Naveen Andrews, (who plays surly Sayid on the hit show) appeared on Jonathan Ross, and outed "OxyContin" as "synthetic heroin".

OxyContin
In case you been living under a rock for the last few years, OxyContin, (also known as Hillbilly Heroin) is a tablet containing pure hydrocodone, which is manufactured by a pharmaceutical giant called Purdue Pharma.

The company were fined recently, when evidence showed they had lied to the public with regard to how addictive the drug could become. For this crime they were fined over $430 million dollars which got paid direct to the US administration. Quite a windfall huh?

OxyContin has taken over in the US, as THE most abused drug on school and college campus's. Estimates reckon OxyContin has more users than the drugs cocaine (in all its guises), heroin AND marijuana, all put together and thats some stat right?

The fact is prescription drugs are likely to become a huge problem in the UK unless action is taken to stave off the problem before it gets hold. Although prescription drugs are where the problem starts, when the pills are too expensive (currently as much as $50 per 80 mg pill), or are no longer available, perhaps because mum got wind someone was stealing her drugs, HER drugs, and decided to lock them away, there are plenty of people with a £10 bag of heroin for sale to fill the void, and this isn't a made up disaster story. This is what's happening today, on the streets of the UK.

OxyContin is designed as a "slow release" drug. But recipe's are available on the Internet which show the recreational user how to crush up the tablets and remove the material used to slow the release. Meaning the entire 80mg's of hydrocodone can be taken at once, straight into a vein, putting many of our young people in range of a fatal over-dose the first time they experiement.

In the meantime, police have millions worth of resources tied up in the fight against the organised cannabis factories, to combat a substance which has LESS addicts than coffee, and causes far less harm according to The National Statistics Office, than tobacco or alcohol?

Its unjust. Its irrational, and something needs to be changed.

Perhaps then, our prison system could get back to doing what it was designed to do. Locking up the bad guys. Something the majority of the 4 million people who use cannabis regularly, would doubtless back government on. Right to the hilt.