genic pollution
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FROM: Roberts Andy (Media) TO: graham smith Message flagged Thursday, 8 March 2012, 15:37

Dear Mr Smith,
 
The straight answer is yes – on the basis that I can
find no evidence to the contrary either.
 
Below is the full email that was sent to the media
representative at the Corby Evening Telegraph – we did suggest they should seek
expert opinion on consideration of this line to take.
 
I cannot comment on the remainder of your email – this
should now be referred to our Professional Standards
Department.
 
Best wishes,
 
Andy
 
 
 
Andy
Roberts
Communications Officer | Corporate Communications |
Northamptonshire Police
Media Relations specialist | Major Events
lead
Tel: 101 | Ext: 2198
(If ringing from outside of Northamptonshire
Police, please call 03000 111 222)
Email:
andy.roberts@northants.police.uk
Police Headquarters, Wootton Hall, Northampton
NN4 0JQ
Hi Helen,
I attach two images from the Cottingham cannabis factory – they are a
little grainy and not too impactive, however they are not photos they are stills
from bodyworn video. Sorry, this is the best we have.
One is of a large cannabis plant, the other a selection of the smaller
plants.
The estimated street value of the cannabis plants taken from the property
is between £20,000 and £30,000. One hundred tablets were also seized (what they
are is unknown, still under analysis).
Once cannabis plants reach their final stages of maturity, apparently the
odour they give out has carcinogenic properties and officers – who deal with
these plants using ventilation masks and protective suits – want to advise of
the health risks of having these plants in properties, especially where young
children may be present (if you go with this line, an expert opinion
from someone on the health side would be
expedient).

From: graham smith [mailto:prialer@yahoo.co.uk]

Sent: 08 March 2012 15:14
To: Roberts Andy
(Media)
Subject: Re: Carcinogenic pollution

dear mr roberts
thankyou for your prompt reply    for the avoidance of
any doubt before i trouble the police complaints people is it now accepted by
yourselves that the contents of the email you sent to the press as set out
below….

Once cannabis plants reach their final stages of maturity, apparently
the
odour they give out has carcinogenic properties and officers – who deal
with
these plants using ventilation masks and protective suits – want to
advise of
the health risks of having these plants in properties, especially
where young
children may be present 

are completely groundless and without foundation and the officers dealing
with these plants who wished to warn of the danger to children  were
mistaken or merely repeating an urban myth (of which i can find no evidence
whatsoever)
its a straight enough question and deserves a straight reply
and can these nameless officers (with or without ventilation masks) be made
availiable to attend court and give account of themselves
if i am now to be repeatedly referred to the pcc and my questions remain
unanswered then sobeit but you have the opportunity to set the record straight
unequivocally right here and should you refuse to do so then your intransigence
will be brought to the attention of the pcc in due course
yours sincerely MR graham smith

TO: prialer@yahoo.co.uk
Message flagged
Thursday, 8 March 2012, 12:47

Graham
I am now in a position to answer your specific
questions and concerns.
I am not aware that there is any verified medical
evidence suggestingthat fully mature cannabis plants have carcinogenic
properties or cause carcinogenic pollution, so I suspect the officer was
repeating an ‘urban myth’.
When our police officers are required to clear large
cannabis cultivations over a long period of time, the situation is risk assessed
and they are given the option of wearing protective overalls and face masks when
carrying out the clearance.
The overalls are essentially worn to protect their
uniform – anecdotally, many officers and journalists exposed to the
clearance have complained  of headaches, nausea, runny noses but there is
no more serious health risk as far as I can ascertain.
Paper-face masks are worn to combat these effects but
this is discretionary – these masks are the same as those that can be purchased
from DIY stores to protect against dust from sanding
etc.
Thanks
Andy
Roberts
Communications Officer | Corporate Communications |
Northamptonshire Police
Media Relations specialist | Major Events
lead
Tel: 101 | Ext: 2198
(If ringing from outside of Northamptonshire
Police, please call 03000 111 222)
Email:
andy.roberts@northants.police.uk
Police Headquarters, Wootton Hall, Northampton
NN4 0JQ
 

Dear Sirs

I wish to bring to your attention an article in
last Saturdays Harborough Mail – http://www.harboroughmail.co.uk/news/crime/drugs-factory-raided-1-3578914 –
which states that “Police are warning that
when cannabis plants reach the final stages of maturity the odour they release
has carcinogenic properties”.

This is completely false: there is absolutely
no evidence of this; rather the opposite, in that many studies have shown
cannabis to be effective against cancer.

This is yet another deliberate deceit for popular
consumption, designed to induce panic in the public, and ensure that they notify
the police whenever they smell cannabis. As if the Daily Mail, and the PM
himself, were not doing a good enough job.

Truth or otherwise aside, it is not, in any case,
Greater Manchester Police’s remit to publish propaganda: they are there to
uphold the law, not make political statements or scientific
judgements.

Your own Dr Ben Goldacre has opened this up – http://bengoldacre.posterous.com/police-are-warning-that-the-smell-of-cannabis –
but despite deserving credit, he does not see the situation being as serious as
I do.

In view of the outrageous evidence being heard
at the Leveson Inquiry, I would ask that you investigate this incident as
another example of police corruption, and bring the facts of this matter to
wider attention.

Yours sincerely

PJMcNeill

Further to my earlier correspondence, for your
information I include an email that I sent to Ben Goldacre by means of
background as to how this story unfolded.

Best wishes,

Andy Roberts

 
Dear Ben
 
I am writing in respect of your correspondence with
Inspector Gary Williams and the ‘health’ reference to cannabis cultivation run
in an article by the Harborough Mail newspaper.
 
On February 22, following a cannabis raid on a property
in the village of Cottingham, the Corby Evening Telegraph phoned this office
requesting further information.
 
We supplied a few stills and statistics around the
operation and the officer in the case – not Gary Williams – was keen for us to
put out the health message around cannabis as outlined.
 
The email sent to the Evening Telegraph came from this
office and is accurate if selective – it omits the line, in bold type below,
that should this line be explored it would be wise to get an opinion from an
health expert.
 
Interestingly, the Evening Telegraph did not pursue the
line but the Harborough Mail did so – I do not know whether they sought expert
advice around this subject area.
 
In hindsight, I accept this was a claim from an officer
which we could have checked prior to putting it out to the media – a lesson
learned.
 
Clearly, if the officer in question is misinformed
about the health debate around cannabis cultivation, then we need to set
the record straight.
 
Gary – for
information
 
Best wishes,
 
Andy
 
Andy
Roberts
Communications Officer | Corporate Communications |
Northamptonshire Police
Media Relations specialist | Major Events
lead
Tel: 101 | Ext: 2198
(If ringing from outside of Northamptonshire
Police, please call 03000 111 222)
Email:
andy.roberts@northants.police.uk
Police Headquarters, Wootton Hall, Northampton
NN4 0JQ
 
Hi Helen,
I attach two images from the Cottingham cannabis factory – they are a
little grainy and not too impactive, however they are not photos they are stills
from bodyworn video. Sorry, this is the best we have.
One is of a large cannabis plant, the other a selection of the smaller
plants.
The estimated street value of the cannabis plants taken from the property
is between £20,000 and £30,000. One hundred tablets were also seized (what they
are is unknown, still under analysis).
Once cannabis plants reach their final stages of maturity, apparently the
odour they give out has carcinogenic properties and officers – who deal with
these plants using ventilation masks and protective suits – want to advise of
the health risks of having these plants in properties, especially where young
children may be present (if you go with this line, an expert opinion
from someone on the health side would be
expedient).
 

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here is my reply to this hodgepodge of half truths

FROM:

graham smith

TO:

andy.roberts@northants.police.uk

Message flagged
Wednesday, 7 March 2012, 19:25
to a roberts
what exactly do these e-mails mean,who is ben goldacre and who is helen and why send me a copy of truncated e-mails with no addresses on them…why cant my concerns be addressed in a proper manner…..your e-mail to helen heightens my concerns even more….are the protection suits and ventilation masks worn by officers correctly certified for the task and who manufactures them…are they specifically for cannabis carcinogen protection and can i buy one for my grandson
and what is it you mean by “if you go with this line” is this some sort of press manipulation and if so why am i being informed about this surely this should be for the levenson enquiry or whatever the local equivalent may be to prevent “lines” being fed to the public through the local press
i find your reply scary and it displays some sort of inherent dishonesty in the way in which you conduct your affairs…if my concerns about cannabis carcinogens are not satisfactorily answered i will have no option but to make an official complaint

graham smith

However, the police didn’t behave any better.  They allowed a loose, vague comment on the level of “if you keep touching that you’ll go blind” to be issued from their offices — without citing any evidence for such an assertion themselves. If you are instructing someone else to check the facts, then it means you haven’t done so yourself and likely know you are on weak ground — at best. Also, their intent in doing so seems quite transparent — raising fear among the public so as to increase the report rate of places where the odour of cannabis can be found.

http://bengoldacre.posterous.com/police-are-warning-that-the-smell-of-cannabis