Bungling police have been ridiculed after an officer mistook harmless hemp that was growing in a town centre for cannabis.
Officers were pictured seizing the plant, which was growing in a public area, after assuming the plant was Marijuana. The one-foot tall herb was plucked and put into an evidence bag and taken away for tests. But after officers confirmed that the plant was just hemp - the cousin of cannabis, campaigners condemned Devon and Cornwall Police for their mix-up and for wasting time and resources.
The plant was seen growing in Tiverton town centre and it is believed the plant grew from seeds scattered in the area by campaign group Feed the Birds. Both cannabis seeds and hemp seeds are regularly used to feed birds, and are also included in bird feeders purchased to hang at home. It is not unheard of for plants to grow from the discarded seeds; just last year a grandmother from Exmouth grew a five foot cannabis plant from a seed dropped by a bird feeder.
While both cannabis and hemp stem from the cannabis satvia plant, hemp contains just 0.3 per cent of THC - the chemical ingredient which makes marijuana psychoactive. In some circumstances it is legal to grow hemp, so long as it is not cultivated. Chris Bovey, a cannabis expert, said: "The Home Office has said that this is perfectly legal and if those seeds germinate, as long as that person didn't cultivate them in any way, then no law has been broken.
"It's still not legal to cultivate industrial hemp in the UK without a license, and there are lots of restrictions which make it prohibitively expensive for farmers to grow. "Unfortunately, that policeman's job was to waste his time taking away the most beneficial plants in the world in an evidence bag. "Hopefully he will see the funny side of it when he realises that it is industrial hemp. "Only an expert would probably know the difference."
"Industrial hemp requires a licence to be cultivated which is not the same as sprinkling seeds to feed birds. "Licenses are not easy to get. It puts a lot of farmers off growing hemp which is such ashamed as the British Empire was built on hemp. Hemp was what was used to make all the ropes and sails for boats when we conquered the world."
The chairman of the Devon Cannabis Club said it was a shame the plant was taken away. Daryl Sullivan, 25, said: "I can't say I'm surprised it was removed but I would only want to reiterate that no crime has been committed. "I would like to ask the police on what grounds they have removed it and whether they think this is an appropriate use of their time and resources."
Devon and Cornwall Police have yet to comment.
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