Conway Ryan Davies, 33, admitted possessing cannabis and heroin at his home in South Wales.

He also confessed to possessing heroin substitutes including Subutex without prescription.

Police were alerted when Davies was found slumped in his car and a search of the vehicle revealed a large amount of drug paraphernalia.

A subsequent search of his home yielded a variety of illegal drugs.

"The police were concerned about the possibility of him dealing," said Andrew David, counsel for the prosecution.

"But that was denied by him and he was subsequently charged with these offences."

His defence claimed in court that Davies had been attempting to self-medicate with the drugs in the hope of kicking his addiction.

Davies had previously referred himself to a drug treatment service, but had been waiting one year for a methadone prescription.

"He is a man who has significant motivation to rid himself of this scourge," said Stephen Harrett, counsel for the defence.

"He desires to embrace any assistance he has in that endeavour."

Davies was given a one year community order with a supervision requirement.

"It is to your credit that you’ve attempted to address this on your own, but you’ve obviously got to comply with this now," said Howard Davies, presiding magistrate.

"If you don’t help yourself, this is not going to work. If you don’t comply you will be brought back to court."

"The ball is in your court to address this."

Cannabis resin has also dropped in strength from 3.4% to 2.6% over the same period.

These figures contradict the arguments given by the UK government for reclassifying cannabis from Class C to Class B.

In May, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith told parliament that the strength of cannabis had increased 300% and there was a 'causal link, albeit a weak one, between cannabis use and psychotic illness.'

"My decision takes into account issues such as public perception and the needs and consequences for policing priorities," she said.

"There is a compelling case for us to act now rather than risk the future health of young people."

Official figures also show a drop in cannabis usage since the drug was downgraded to Class C.

"This information suggests that, in the time that it has been a class C drug, usage levels of cannabis have fallen and so has its strength," said David Porteous, a lecturer in criminology at Middlesex University.

"These findings make a mockery of the decision to re-reclassify cannabis and of the government's wider claim to base policy-making decisions on scientific research."

"Furthermore they call into question the validity of other controversial and publicly criticised government claims regarding drug policy, for example the link between cannabis and mental illness or the legitimacy of our current classification system."

But when the FSS were asked to comment on the figures, they stated that the sample was too small to be statisically significant.

A spokesperson claimed that the figures were 'unlikely to be an accurate representation of THC in cannabis across the board as not all samples submitted to the FSS are routinely analysed for THC content.'

"The FSS database also does not distinguish between sinsemilla cannabis and imported herbal cannabis," said the spokesperson.

Ironically, the crew of the Type 45 frigate have been previously deployed in the Caribbean to combat drug smuggling.

"The Royal Navy does not tolerate misuse of drugs by its personnel and internal action is underway against all 18 individuals," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

"Notwithstanding the numbers involved in this single unprecedented incident which is being treated very seriously, it has not affected the ship's ability to do its job."

The MoD were keen to downplay the significance of the bust, claiming that drug use in the Navy was a fraction of that in the civilian world.

"These results must be understood in context," the MoD spokesperson said.

"Tests show that drug misuse is almost 20 times more common in civilian work places than it is in the Navy."

"Positive test rates in the Navy last year averaged less than 0.4%, compared with over 7% in civilian workplaces."

"The UK Ministry of Defence conducts Europe's largest compulsory drug testing programme and this has significantly reduced drug misuse among service personnel."

"We are not complacent though and our compulsory drug tests will continue to expose those few that let the rest down."

HMS Liverpool was recently charged with defending the Falkland Islands, and some say that the bust has compromised the reputation of the Royal Navy.

"The worst aspect of this scandal is that HMS Liverpool is supposed to be guarding the Falkland Islands and such a large drugs bust hardly does wonders for confidence," said a senior Naval source to The Sun newspaper.

The eighteen are now subject to disciplinary action -- but it is almost certain that they will all be dismissed from the Navy.

Five soldiers from the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery were recently dismissed for cocaine use, in line with the zero tolerance policy found in the armed forces.

The Office for National Statistics has published a report showing that 196 people died after taking cocaine in 2007 -- a massive increase from the 23 deaths reported in 1993 when these types of deaths were first recorded.

Although the cost of the drug has plummeted in recent years, some believe that use has become more widespread due to its perception as a 'dinner party drug'.

"Cocaine is seen as a middle-class drug associated with success and money," said Clare McNeil, spokesperson for Addaction, a charity offering treatment for drug addiction.

"It doesn't have the stigma attached to other Class A drugs like heroin but it can be just as destructive."

Another possible reason for the increase in deaths is due to cocaine use being combined with alcohol -- the two combine in the body to form cocaethylene, a highly toxic substance that raises the risk of cardiac arrest.

"People are often ignorant of the risks of combining alcohol with cocaine for example, which can increase the risk of liver and heart disease, strokes and epilepsy," McNeil said.

The figures show that deaths from all drugs have been highest in men aged 30-39 -- with the death rate among men in the 40-49 age group increasing by 45 per cent in the past five years.

"The increase in deaths among men in their thirties and forties is worrying," said McNeil.

"It suggests that more people are continuing to experiment and take risks with drugs well into adulthood."

The Department of Health responded to the figures by stating that tackling drug abuse was a priority for them.

"Increased funding has led to 130 per cent more people in treatment and crime associated with drugs has fallen," said a spokesperson.

Psilocybin was given to 36 volunteers and most found the experience to be spiritually uplifting.

"Surrender is intensely powerful. To 'let go' and become enveloped in the beauty of -- in this case music -- was enormously spiritual," said one volunteer.

After a year, they were asked how they now felt about their experience -- the vast majority still felt the benefits.

"This is a truly remarkable finding," said Dr Roland Griffiths, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

"Rarely in psychological research do we see such persistently positive reports from a single event in the laboratory."

"This gives credence to the claims that the mystical-type experiences some people have during hallucinogen sessions may help patients suffering from cancer-related anxiety or depression and may serve as a potential treatment for drug dependence."

Research into psychedelics has attracted a great deal of controversy over the years, especially due to worries about the mental health of participants.

But Dr Griffiths believes that the subjects of the psilocybin trial did not experience any lasting harm.

"While some of our subjects reported strong fear or anxiety for a portion of their day-long psilocybin sessions, none reported any lingering harmful effects, and we didn't observe any clinical evidence of harm," he said.

In fact, over half of the participants considered the session to be one of the most significant events of their lives.

"We have people saying these eight hours in the lab are among the most meaningful in their lives," Dr Griffiths said.

"Some rank it alongside births and deaths of loved ones."

The Afghan National Police Special Task Force received a tipoff about a stockpile of drugs located about 40 kilometres from the Pakistan border in Kandahar Province.

They found the cannabis hidden in several trenches, and destroyed the drugs in situ that day by setting fire to the trenches.

The destroyed cannabis had an estimated wholesale value of US$400 million (£200 million).

Nato-led forces in Afghanistan heaped praise upon the Afghan police for their efforts.

"The Afghan National Police Special Task Force has made a huge step forward in proving its capability in curbing the tide of illegal drug trade in this country," said General David McKiernan, commander of Isaf, Nato's International Security Assistance Force.

"With this single find, they have seriously crippled the Taliban's ability to purchase weapons that threaten the safety and security of the Afghan people and the region."

"The international community will continue to support the Afghan forces with more of the same training and support that helped them achieve such success in this mission."

Afghanistan has been criticised in the past for failing to crack down on drug trafficking -- the success of this operation will go a long way to improving their reputation with the international community.

"This was the largest ever single find of narcotics in history," said David Miliband, the UK Foreign Secretary.

"It reflects the efforts of the Afghan government against the drug trade, and was so large that two aircraft were brought in to destroy the underground bunker in which the hashish was being stored."

"Britain and the rest of the international community will continue to do everything we can to support the Afghan government fight the narcotics trade, and promote Afghan development."

Semi-subs aren’t technically submarines as they’re incapable of diving.

They sit about 12 to 16 inches above water, giving them a low profile that radar can't track easily.

"There has been information that the semi-submersibles have existed for about 10 years," said Rear Admiral Joseph Nimmich, director of the Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West, Florida.

"But 2006 was the first time US law enforcement actually saw one."

The semi-subs are between 45 to 82 feet long, travel at 8 mph and can have a range of up to 2,000 miles -- and can carry between eight to ten tons of cocaine.

"It's in fact a logical progression," Nimmich said.

"As we get better at interdiction, they move to try to counteract our success."

It is estimated that 25 to 40 semi-subs left South America loaded with cocaine in 2007, with that figure expected to double this year.

The US Coast Guard is now working with Congress to make it illegal to even be aboard an unflagged semi-sub in international waters -- whether or not cocaine is present.

Such a new crime would carry a 20-year prison sentence.

"This vessel has no purpose other than illicit trafficking," said Nimmich.

Intelligence agencies are now helping to detect the semi-subs, using all the techniques at their disposal.

"We’re using the same kinds of technologies that we used to hunt submarines in the Cold War to try and find these semi-submersibles," said US Southern Command Admiral Jim Stavridis.

Nimmich is sure that semi-subs will continue to grow in popularity, unless the authorities can find ways to stop them.

"Drug runners will continue to do this until we become more successful than they are," he said.

Hofmann came across LSD whilst investigating ergotamine, a chemical found in the ergot fungus known to grow on rye, in 1938.

In the medieval era, bread contaminated with ergot had caused a debilitating condition known as St Anthony's Fire, which has symptoms including gangrene and loss of limbs.

But the alkaloids in ergot were felt by some to have potential benefits and in 1935, ergonovine was first isolated from the fungus.

As it causes strong muscular contractions, it has since been used medically to induce labour and to control haemmorrhaging.

This work spurred Hofmann to investigate what other applications the ergot alkaloids could be used for.

But his initial 1938 research into LSD was fruitless -- studies failed to show any effects on animals and he abandoned the approach.

It was five years later when Hofmann decided to go back to his previous work with LSD.

After inadvertently inhaling some vapours from synthesised LSD, Hofmann experienced an altered state of consciousness.

"On a Friday afternoon, April 16, 1943, while working in the laboratory, I was seized by a peculiar sensation of vertigo and restlessness," he said.

"Objects, as well as the shape of my associates in the laboratories, appeared to undergo optical changes."

"I was unable to concentrate on my work."

"In a dreamlike state, I left for home, where an irresistible urge to lie down and sleep overcame me."

"Light was so intense as to be unpleasant."

"I drew the curtains and immediately fell into a peculiar state of 'drunkenness', characterised by an exaggerated imagination."

"With my eyes closed, fantastic pictures of extraordinary plasticity and intensive colour seemed to surge towards me."

"After two hours, this state gradually subsided and I was able to eat dinner with a good appetite."

Three days later, Hofmann took the smallest possible dose of LSD -- 250 micrograms -- in an attempt to discover the exact action of the drug.

After taking the drug in the laboratory, he asked his assistant to help him cycle home.

"On the way home, my condition began to assume threatening forms."

"Everything in my field of vision wavered and was distorted as if seen in a curved mirror."

"I also had the sensation of being unable to move from the spot."

"Nevertheless, my assistant later told me that we had travelled very rapidly."

The dose wore off after six hours, thus ending the world's first LSD trip.

Hofmann's employers, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, decided that the drug had potential in psychotherapy and began distributing the drug to therapists.

As a result, hundreds of papers were written by academics that detailed the use of LSD to treat a variety of disorders including addiction -- but all that research ended in the 1960s as the drug was banned around the world.

Although Hofmann worked extensively with psychedelics after the discovery of LSD, he was critical of the approach of Timothy Leary, an advocate for the liberal use of drugs.

He eventually encountered Leary in 1971 at the railway station buffet in Lausanne.

Hofmann expressed his regret that academic research into LSD had ended as a result of the controversy generated by figures such as Leary.

He also expressed doubts about the wisdom of encouraging young people to consume drugs.

“He maintained that I was unjustified in reproaching him for the seduction of immature persons to drug consumption."

According to Hofmann, Leary believed that American teenagers 'with regard to information and life experience, were comparable to adult Europeans' and were therefore equipped to make their own decisions.

After many decades of inactivity, the field of academic research into LSD has experienced a resurgence.

Hofmann had been due to speak at a recent conference in Basel, but ill-health prevented his attendance.

"[Albert and I] spoke on the phone the day after the Basel conference and he was happy and fulfilled," said Rick Doblin of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.

"He'd seen the renewal of LSD psychotherapy research with his own eyes, as had [his wife] Anita."

"I said that I looked forward to discussing the results of the study with him in about a year and a half and he laughed and said he'd try to help the research however he could, either from this side or 'the other side'."

He is survived by his three children with his wife Anita, who predeceased him in late 2007.

Dr Albert Hofmann: January 11th 1906 -- April 29th 2008.

Legislators in the Dutch parliament will now consider the bill, which is being proposed on the basis that mushrooms are 'life-threatening.'

"The use of mushrooms can produce hallucinogenic effects which can lead to extreme or life-threatening behaviour," read a statement from the health ministry.

The decision to ban mushrooms came about partly as a result of the death in March 2007 of Gaelle Caroff, a young French woman on a school visit.

She had consumed mushrooms before jumping off a bridge -- and her face was splashed in newspapers across the Netherlands, prompting a national debate on how to prevent such deaths.

Amsterdam's Mayor Job Cohen had proposed a three day waiting period for mushroom purchases.

But the health and justice ministries advised an outright ban due to natural variations in the potency of mushrooms.

"It's impossible to estimate what amount will have what effect," said Wim Van der Weegen, spokesman for the justice ministry.

A number of other incidents involving mushrooms also raised questions, such as the 22-year-old British tourist who ran amok in a hotel, breaking his window and slicing his hand; the 19-year-old Icelandic tourist who thought he was being chased and jumped from a balcony, breaking both legs; and the 29-year-old Danish tourist who drove his car wildly through a campsite, but miraculously managed to avoid injuring anyone.

Although such incidents are described by figures inside the government as 'rare', high profile media coverage has helped create impetus for a ban.

"The main danger to the user is that he will somehow hurt himself," said Marjan Heuving of the Trimbos Institute, the drug policy arm of the health ministry.

"I should add that that's extremely rare."

The proprietors of the 'smart shops' that sell magic mushrooms believe that the move is part of a wider campaign to end the liberal drug policy of the Netherlands.

"If they succeed with this mushroom ban then I am sure they will try to ban things like cannabis as well," said Freddy Schaap of the VLOS, the trade association of smart shop owners.

"This is part of a wider trend."

A person found with self-sealing plastic bags less than two inches tall or wide faces a fine which could be as much as US$1500 (£745).

The fine applies to those who know or suspect that the bags would be used in the drug trade.

"I can find bags like these at all times in my ward," said Alderman Bob Fioretti, the man behind the measure.

"These are literally all over the parks."

At the hearing to approve the measure, concerns were express that innocent people would suffer under the measure -- it was pointed out that spare buttons sold with clothing often come in small self-seal bags.

"I want to make sure we have language in place so that innocent people don't get caught up in these situations," said Alderman Walter Burnette.

Alderman Fioretti highlighted the clause in the law that is supposed to target only those who 'reasonably know' that the bags are used for drugs.

"You need to have the criminal intent there, and that's clearly stated in the ordinance," said Fioretti.

He added that 'drug dealers will have these alongside of them -- they won't be having buttons with them in these bags.'

"When we look at the numbers in our parks that you can find in one Sunday, then you know, we're not having garment dealers using these bags."

Chicago Police Lieutenant Kevin Navarro, a gang and narcotics supervisor, said that police would not be stopping people to search for the bags specifically.

"This would be something we would add onto the drug offence," he said.

Navarro is hoping to use the measure against businesses that cater to the drug trade.

"We have a few businesses on our radar right now," said Navarro.

"They know what's up."

"They know what they're doing."

"This will be a very important tool for us to go after those businesses."

The measure will now go forward for ratification by the full city council on March 12.

The email reads: "There is a very scary thing going on in the schools right now that we all need to be aware of."

"There is a type of crystal meth going around that looks like strawberry pop rocks, the candy that sizzles and pops in your mouth."

"It also smells like strawberry and it is being handed out to kids in school yards."

"They are calling it strawberry meth or strawberry quick."

"Kids are ingesting this, thinking that it is candy and being rushed off to the hospital in dire condition."

"It also comes in chocolate, peanut butter, cola, cherry, grape and orange."

"Please instruct your children not to accept candy from strangers and even not to accept candy that looks like this from a friend and to take any that they may have to a teacher, principal, etc, immediately."

"Pass this email on to as many people as you can so that we can raise awareness and hopefully prevent any tragedies from occurring."

The alert was forwarded by the policemen to schools in the area, who then held special assemblies to inform pupils.

"Our head of year was talking about how strangers had been handing out sweets in the style of ones that crackle in your mouth that have been laced with drugs," said Freddie Peppiatt, a 13-year-old pupil at Wood Green School in Witney.

"He said it was crystal meth."

"He was saying how there had been two incidents of children who have been taken to John Radcliffe Hospital immediately because they had taken them without knowing what they are."

When it emerged that strawberry meth was in fact an urban myth, the school held another assembly to explain.

"I'm not surprised at all. I had a sense it was urban mythish," said Francoise, mother of Freddie.

"Perhaps the police should check their facts."

"However, they had the best of intentions."

"There is still a valuable lesson to children about not accepting sweets from strangers."

The policeman in question will not be disciplined, as he was acting in good faith.

"We would like to apologise for any unnecessary concern that we may have caused to schools or parents by sending the warning out about a drug that proved a hoax," said Thames Valley Chief Inspector Dennis Evernden.

"The officer should have double checked before taking this action, which he did take with the best intentions."

"We will be making sure that this does not happen again."

"This operation is a great example of how law enforcement agencies in the UK and abroad work together," said Detective Inspector Gary Townsend of the Middle Market Drugs Partnership.

The gang had conspired to import 200,000 ecstasy tablets, which Police claimed had a street value of £800,000.

Suspicions were first raised when a Dutch woman brought six boxes to a DHL depot in Belgium, claiming that they contained books.

She told the courier company that the consignment was to be picked up by a Dutch man at DHL's depot at Park Royal in London.

Belgian Federal Police were called in and they discovered the massive haul of ecstasy tablets.

After liasing with the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency, the consignment was allowed into the country for analysis.

The packaging was then carefully reconstructed, with cat biscuits used as a substitute for the ecstasy tablets.

Police then took the boxes to DHL in Park Royal and waited for the recipients to arrive.

The ecstasy was then transported to a house in Newport, Wales -- at this point, the Police entered the premises and found the boxes opened.

Officers also found a further 2,774 ecstasy tablets and around 2kg of amphetamine sulphate powder.

The six main conspirators all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply ecstasy.

David Perry, 23, was jailed for seven years.

Lee Glyn Jones, 24, Nathan Rees, 20, and Michael Edward O'Connor, 23, recieved a three year jail sentence.

Daniel Thomas, 23, was imprisoned for 33 months and Joshua John Henshaw, 18, for two years.

O'Connor also received two additional 30 month jail terms for conspiracy to supply ecstasy and amphetamine, running concurrently with his three year term.

A minor player in the drama came away with a much lighter sentence.

Gerrard Waters, 25, was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for two years, a supervision order for two years and a 150-hour community sentence after pleading guilty to allowing his flat to be used for the supply of drugs.

“This was a particularly large consignment of ecstasy that we have prevented from getting onto the streets of south Wales," said Detective Inspector Townsend.

"It should act as a deterrent to anyone who believes they can get away with importing drugs in this way."

"For people who have a desire to stop using, the vaccine should be very useful," said Dr Tom Kosten, professor of psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

"At some point, most users will give in to temptation and relapse, but those for whom the vaccine is effective won't get high and will lose interest."

Dr Kosten is collaborating with his wife Therese, a psychologist and neuroscientist also working at Baylor College, on the new vaccine in an effort to help cocaine addicts.

The new vaccine trains the human immune system to attack cocaine molecules as if they were a threat.

Cocaine molecules are generally believed to be too small to be detected by the immune system.

The Kostens have found a way around this by combining cocaine that has been treated to make it non-euphoric with deactivated cholera proteins.

The body reacts to the combination, but then also recognises pure cocaine as a threat and begins making antibodies.

These antibodies bind themselves to the cocaine molecules, preventing them from reaching the brain and then causing the euphoria that can lead to addiction.

"It's a very clever idea," says David Eagleman, a neuroscientist at Baylor College.

"Scientists have spent the last few decades figuring out reward pathways in the brain and how drugs like cocaine hijack the system."

"It turns out those pathways are difficult to rewire once they've seen the drug."

"But the vaccine just circumvents all that."

The Kostens have now made a formal request to the US Food and Drug Administration for wide-ranging human trials to test the vaccine's efficacy.

But one expert in the field sounded a note of caution.

"Addiction vaccines are a promising advance, but it's unlikely any treatment in this field will work for everyone," said Dr David Gorelick, a senior investigator at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"Still, if they prove successful, they will give those working in drug addiction an important option."

"We've got a serious case of overgrazing by human herbivores, to put it in biological terms," said Martin Terry, professor of biology at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas.

The US Government has allowed the use of peyote for strictly religious purposes only, in recognition of the fact that Native Americans have used the hallucinogenic cactus for centuries.

In the 1970s, the state of Texas licensed 27 peyote dealers.

There were many more before peyote was outlawed in 1967 -- now there are only three left.

Mauro Morales, one of the remaining dealers, refuses to take peyote as he recognises the precarious state of his profession.

"You have to make sure you don't have a problem with the law, you know?" he said.

The volume of peyote sold each year has dropped as supplies become harder to locate in the wild.

"There's still some peyote out there, but not like there used to be. It's getting kind of scary now," said Morales.

Several factors have contributed to the decline of the cactus,

As well as encroaching urbanisation, widespread 'root plowing' that scrapes away natural vegetation to replace it with grass for cattle grazing has devastated peyote's natural habitat.

Allied to this is the acquisition of wilderness by rich Texans to create hunting reserves, severely limiting the areas where peyote can be harvested.

One solution would be to cultivate the cactus -- but Federal law prohibits this.

Unless the government reforms the laws relating to peyote, dealers such as Morales will have to resort to more sustainable practices to preserve dwindling supplies.

His pickers cut the peyote in such a way that the plant can grow back.

"It comes back, but it grows slow," said Morales.

"It's hard to get enough medicine."

Ice Breakers Pacs are small dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside.

Unfortunately they are almost identical to the tiny heat-sealed bags used to sell illegal drugs such as crack and heroin.

"It glorifies the drug trade," said Chief Inspector William Blackburn of Philadelphia Police.

"There's really no reason that a product like this should be on the shelf."

Philadelphia Judge Lori Dumas Brooks was appalled by the product and passed it around to her colleagues for comment.

"I could not believe it," said Judge Dumas Brooks.

"Who in the world thought of that, and how did it get approved?"

Her colleagues all assumed it was crack cocaine.

"I thought she confiscated it in the courtroom," said Judge Kevin Dougherty.

Even Philadelphia's police were taken in.

"Being in narcotics the majority of my career, I thought it was the real stuff," said Chief Inspector William Blackburn.

"It's a disgrace to see a company selling a product like this and basically glorifying the drug trade.

"The best word to describe it is despicable."

Hershey's steadfastly deny any wrongdoing on their part.

"It's not intended to simulate anything," said Kirk Seville, spokesperson for the company.

"The dissolvable pouch is what makes the product innovative and unique.

"The overwhelming feedback from consumers is they love the product."

Gary Ross, 45, is now suing his former employers under disability discrimination laws.

"It's extremely significant -- it's probably not only the most important medical marijuana case in California, but in the nation right now," said Kris Hermes, spokesman for Americans for Safe Access, the activist group that petitioned California's Supreme Court to hear the case.

"It's a question of civil rights."

Ross was dismissed by RagingWire after a mere eight days on the job -- the company concluded that cannabis was still illegal under federal law.

RagingWire's lawyer, Robert Pattison, believes that employers hiring medical cannabis users are 'arguably being complicit in an activity that's illegal under federal law.'

"He's still free to do those things," said Pattison about Ross' cannabis usage.

"But if he does, we're not obligated to employ him."

But Ross doesn't agree and is suing his former employers for violating the Fair Employment and Housing Act.

"I think I'm standing up for everybody else," said Ross.

"My motivation is that I don't like to lose and that medical marijuana is effective."

After losing in two previous hearings, the case is now before California's Supreme Court.

Justice Joyce Kennard said that under Proposition 215, 'it is not a crime when someone engages in the use of marijuana under supervision of a physician.'

"Under California's Compassionate Use Act, this particular use is allowed," said Kennard.

"What we have is a conflict.'

RagingWire have been joined in court by other corporate interests such as the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the Western Electrical Contractors Association Inc. -- they are concerned that employing cannabis users could lead to the loss of federal contracts.

The right-wing Pacific Legal Foundation also submitted an amicus curae filing to the court, stating that employers could also be liable for damage done by intoxicated workers:

"History abounds with cases of employers found liable because their employees were driving vehicles, operating heavy equipment or otherwise performing tasks made more dangerous by their being under the influence of alcohol or drugs."

"We saw a rise in the incidents with paddoes recently from 55 reported by the emergency services in 2004 to 128 last year," said Karin Donk, spokesperson for the health ministry.

"This year we already had over a hundred incidents reported, mainly in Amsterdam."

Around 500,000 doses of packaged mushrooms are sold in the Netherlands every year..

Statistics show that emergency services were summoned 148 times to deal with bad trips in 2004-2006.

Of those incidents, 134 involved foreigners -- Britons forming the largest group.

The decision to ban mushrooms came about partly as a result of the death in March of Gaelle Caroff, a young French woman on a school visit.

She had consumed paddoes before jumping off a bridge -- and her face was splashed in newspapers across the Netherlands, prompting a national debate on how to prevent such death.

Amsterdam's Mayor Job Cohen had proposed a three day waiting period for mushroom purchases.

But the health and justice ministries elected to ban them outright due to their natural variation in potency,

"It's impossible to estimate what amount will have what effect," said Wim Van der Weegen, spokesman for the justice ministry.

The advice from the Trimbos Institute -- a state funded drugs thinktank -- on mushrooms is that they are are not toxic and themselves pose no physical risk to users.

But their unpredictability could pose problems -- the intensity of the experience can be affected by someone's body weight; how much food they had consumed; past drug experiences; psychological health; and the setting in which they are taken

"The main danger to the user is that he will somehow hurt himself," said Marjan Heuving of the Trimon Institute.

"I should add that that's extremely rare."

The owners of the 'smart shops' that sell mushrooms are adamant that they are safe if used responsibly -- and that the ban has resulted from a moral witch hunt.

According to Erik van der Maal, a spokesperson for Dutch smart shops owners: "If I were in Paris and drunk myself silly on absinthe in some or other sleazy bar, and then went and jumped from the Eiffel Tower, than no one would call the French state to account, would they?"

Derrick Kimbrough, a veteran of the first Gulf War, received a 15 year prison term for selling both types of cocaine.

Federal guidelines mandated a harsher sentence of 19 to 22 years as crack was involved, but presiding district judge Raymond A. Jackson refused to apply the longer sentence as it was 'ridiculous.'

The laws on crack were drafted in 1986 in response to the violent crimes being committed by addicts.

But many have been saying for years that the lesser penalties for dealing powder have created an unfair disparity that means blacks get worse treatment than whites.

Dealing 5 grams of crack cocaine carries a mandatory five year prison sentence -- it takes 500 grams of powder cocaine before the same sentence applies

The case has now gone before the Supreme Court, which appears to be backing the district judge's discretion to apply sentences as he sees fit -- to the chagrin of the Federal government.

Justice Antonin Scalia asked Deputy Solicitor General Michael R. Dreeben: "What if the district judge simply disagrees with the guidelines?"

"How could you possibly say that's unreasonable?"

Dreeben's response was that there was a world of difference between deviating from guidelines and 'judges doing whatever they want.'

"You're just blowing smoke," replied Scalia.

The case continues.

"This appears to be represent, once again, the federal government taking umbrage with the fact that California has legalised medical marijuana for medical patients," said Randolph Daar, lawyer for Jessica Sanders, one of the three persons arrested in the high profile bust.

Tainted Inc. was founded by 33-year-old Michael Martin, originally as a home operation creating chocolate truffles containing cannabis.

At the time of writing, Martin is a fugitive being pursued by the DEA.

The success of his efforts led to expand the range of products manufactured.

DEA agents made off with chocolate bars, biscuits, peanut butter, ice cream, jam, energy drinks, and rice krispy squares -- all laced with cannabis.

As well as distributing the products to medical marijuana dispensaries in California, Tainted Inc