Field of research hemp destroyed by vandals

By RANDY RICHMOND, THE LONDON FREE PRESS
Source: lfpress.com/news/london

Oxford OPP are looking for the public’s help in tracking down vandals who destroyed a field of hemp being grown for research.

Sometime between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Thursday, vandals got into a half-acre field of hemp on Oxford Rd. 59, south of Tavistock, police said.

They destroyed the plants by pulling out the roots, cutting the stalks or stomping on them. Damage is estimated at $15,000 to $20,000, police said.

The field was clearly marked as a research project for Health Canada, Const. Michelle Murphy said.

“It was fully licensed, and there were signs explaining the reason for the field.”

Police ask anyone who witnessed any suspicious behaviour or has any information about the vandalism to call them at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Industrial hemp describes the fibre cultivated from the cannabis plant. It has a variety of industrial uses, from concrete to fuel.

E-mail randy.richmond@sunmedia.ca, or follow RandyRatLFPress on Twitter.