"As scientists, we begin every study hoping to be able to confirm beneficial effects of potential therapies, and we hoped to confirm this for the use of medical marijuana in treating Alzheimer's disease," said Dr Weihong Song, a professor of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine.

"But we didn't see any benefit at all."

"Instead, our study pointed to some detrimental effects."

Previous studies using rats carrying amyloid protein showed that HU210 -- a synthetic cannabinoid -- reduced the toxicity of amyloid plaques and promoted the new growth of neurons.

The latest study used mice with modified DNA containing the human genetic mutations that cause Alzheimer's -- widely considered to be a more accurate model for the disease in humans.

Mice treated with HU210 did no better than untreated mice -- those given low doses of HU210 performing the worst.

The researchers also found that HU210-treated mice had just as much plaque formation and the same density of neurons as the control group.

The mice given higher doses of HU210 overall had fewer brain cells.

Although the study showed the negative effects of cannabinoids, Dr Song believes that further studies need to be conducted.

"Our study shows that HU210 has no biological or behavioural effect on the established Alzheimer's disease model," he said.

"More studies should be done before we place much hope in marijuana's benefits for Alzheimer's patients."

They Should Be Taken Out and Shot

The first thing to realise is that we are not talking about espresso.

Espresso machines are industrial pieces of equipment that cost around £5000 and weigh approximately 90 kilograms.

Designed to pump out hundreds of espresso shots consistently on a daily basis, they emphatically do not belong in a kitchen -- no matter what 'home baristas' on the net might tell you.

Sure, people do make espresso at home -- I call them 'idiots'.

These idiots fall into three main categories: those spending mummy and daddy's money, those that married well, and professional baristas with no life.

But for the rest of us, there are simple and inexpensive ways to ensure a good cup every time.

Ever Bean in Love?

It goes without saying that the quality of the coffee you use is critical.

Espresso coffee is usually made from a blend of beans, but we want to be using a so-called 'single origin' coffee.

For beginners, a good start would be something like a Kenya AA or Brazilian Bourbon.

The more adventurous might want to look at Ethiopian Yirgacheffe -- this can taste of citrus, bergamot, and even peaches but is wildly variable for reasons I won't bore you with here.

If you have a local roastery, buy whole beans (not ground) direct from them and interrogate them about what their best varieties are.

Otherwise you could try a local coffeeshop if they sell beans to the public, but make sure that its single variety and not a blend -- but more importantly, ensure that it's freshly roasted.

Failing all that, buy mail order from someone like Monmouth Coffee or Square Mile.

But do not even think about buying pre-packaged ground coffee -- coffee loses its taste within 20 minutes of grinding.

You'd better off scraping the burnt bits from your morning toast and brewing up with that.

So now we have whole beans, we need some bump and grind.

The Daily Grind

It may seem a trivial point but the quality of your grinder is just as important as the beans.

Badly ground coffee will taste disgusting -- so a good quality grinder is essential to bring out the best from the bean.

If you already have a grinder with a spinning blade then throw it out -- these types generally smash the coffee into large and small chunks.

We need a something that will grind the beans into consistently-sized particles -- a burr grinder is the answer.

Luckily a number of espresso machine manufacturers like Rancilio make burr grinders for home use.

But do be warned -- they are far from cheap.

Failing that, even an old-fashioned hand-cranked grinder that bolts to a table is preferable to the bladed monstrosities.

Filtration for the Nation

You can use a cafétiere (aka French press) to make good coffee at home but there's often sediment in the bottom of the cup.

Serious aficionados also think that the coffee oils get in the way of a clean taste.

There is a long-winded method for making a cleaner cup of French press coffee but it's far too laborious for the likes of you and me.

But by using a filter paper cone, we can ensure a cup free of sediment and coffee oils.

To accomplish this, you will need to invest in a ceramic coffee filter cone and a pack of filter paper cones.

Simply place the ceramic cone over the cup and line it with filter paper.

Add the freshly ground coffee (about 15g per 250ml of water) and fill to the top with water just off the boil.

Let it all drip through -- if it's a large cup then you might need to top it up.

Once it's all gone through, remove the cone and enjoy your well-deserved coffee.

How easy was that?

Cheers!

UBF began as a reaction to mainstream barista competitions and have rapidly evolved into nothing short of a new spectator sport. UBF was created by Scott Griffiths of stalwart roasters Monmouth Coffee Co, along with James Hoffman and Anette Moldvaer of scene upstarts Square Mile Coffee.

While the inspiration for UBF came from the world of wrestling, there is little connection with anything approaching athleticism. Competitors and spectators cram into industrial units after hours bearing food and alcohol to share.

Hopeful baristas arrive in old Naval uniforms and Mexican wrestling masks in the hope of currying favour with the audience -- after all, it is they who will be voting to decide the winner's of tonight's rounds.

The contenders face off head to head to pour the best cup and footage of the two cups is projected on a large screen. It's the cheering of the crowd that decides who is victorious.

Whilst a contest of coffee making may not sound very exciting, UBF events are riotous standing room only affairs. As London will be hosting the more staid UK barista championship in 2010, UBF may well react by introducing a new variant on this new sport. The enigmatic working title is 'Caffeine Samurai'.

For more information on upcoming events, visit the Ultimate Barista Fighting blog.

As well as phenacetin, a pharmaceutical painkiller banned in many countries for causing kidney failure and cancer, samples also contained a dental painkiller, a chemical used for de-worming pets, and boric acid -- which is used to kill cockroaches.

"The picture is not encouraging when it comes to cocaine," said Martin Barnes, chief executive of DrugScope.

"Prices have fallen and in some parts of the country, cocaine dealers are offering a heavily cut 'economy' version of the drug at £30 a gram as well as a less adulterated 'luxury' version for £50 a gram."

"It is a drug which has severe health risks."

Police analysis of samples reveals that cocaine's purity has plunged over the last few years.

"Five years ago, most of the street cocaine we seized had a purity of around 50%," said Rob Wainwright, international director of the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

"But we're now finding a lot that is of far lower quality -- some barely 10% pure."

"The danger is that drug dealers are cutting cocaine with other, often quite dangerous, chemicals to make it go further."

One major issue is that it is impossible for users to determine the purity of the drug by sight.

"The cocaine is a white powder and the drugs it's being mixed with are also white powder," said Dean Ames, lead drug scientist at the Forensic Science Service.

"It's impossible for someone buying a wrap of cocaine on the street to tell, just from looking at it, what it's been cut with."

The Home Office minister responsible for drug policy was bullish about the success of current law enforcement efforts.

"Along with education and treatment, enforcement has its role to play," said Vernon Coaker.

"Class A drug seizures have increased by almost a third."

"In 2005 enforcement agencies stopped 3.8 tons of cocaine, two tons of heroin, close to three million doses of ecstasy and over a million doses of LSD from harming people."

Police had to use an angle grinder to enter the heavily fortified cafe in the town of Lancing.

Previous attempts to raid the cafe involved the use of a tractor to partially demolish a wall.

Mike Allday, 43, was arrested on suspicion of selling the Class C drug -- four others have been arrested on related charges.

Allday had previously worked as a security guard on the premises when it was known as the Quantum Leaf cannabis cafe.

"The raids have been a great success and we have arrested five people suspected of being involved in the supply of drugs in the local area," said Inspector Jason Wilson of Sussex Police.

"This crackdown is ongoing and we will continue to focus our efforts on those who think they can get away with committing drug-related crime."

"Our message to those offenders is simple – we will find out who you are and we will arrest you."

In spite of repeated attempts to shut down the cafe, previous attempts to raid the cafe have only yielded tiny amounts of cannabis.

But despite their lamentable record, the police were still bullish about their tactics.

"We will continue to do all we can to disrupt the trade of drugs," said Chief Inspector James Asser, district commander for Adur.

It is illegal to grow cannabis in the Netherlands -- but police will turn a blind eye if there are less than five plants.

"There is major demand from England, Belgium, Germany, France, the Scandinavian countries and at the moment the Baltic countries," said Max Daniel, the police commissioner in charge of the Dutch agency responsible for cannabis-related crime.

Investigations by the Dutch police suggest that around 500 tonnes of cannabis were exported from the Netherlands each year.

"We know that at least 80 percent of production is for export," said Sergeant Daniel.

"In the Netherlands there are 400,000 users of the drug and of hashish."

"If it was only them, the problem would be entirely manageable."

Daniel pointed out that cannabis was no longer a cottage industry -- it has become a growth area for organised crime.

The Dutch government recently set up a task force involving the police, justice ministry officials, energy companies and housing corporations to look at organised crime's role in cannabis cultivation.

Police sources claim that banks are lending to growers, and laboratories tied to universities are working on increasing production.

"We still have the image of the small producer who grows a few plants in his attic to pay for his holidays in Benidorm," he said.

"[But] hemp has a role in almost every major murder, guns and drugs case."

Sheriff's deputies found the drugs while conducting a probation search of O'Neal senior's home relating to an earlier drugs case involving his son.

O'Neal junior was arrested last year on charges related to possession of heroin and crystal meth while driving under the influence.

The lawyer acting for O'Neal senior denies that his client has any involvement in drug abuse.

"The drugs in the house were Redmond's," said Mark Werksman, a lawyer with a track record of defending celebrity clients including Nick Nolte and David Hasselhoff.

"They weren't Ryan's."

"He doesn't use drugs."

"It's a dangerous assumption for deputies to have arrested Ryan just because he was in proximity to the drugs."

Werksman explained that O'Neal senior had been dealing with the problems created by his son's addiction.

"This is really painful for him," Werksman said.

"Dealing with Redmond's addiction has been the bane of his existence."

"Ryan is very upset about this, as you can expect."

Father and son were released on $10,000 bail and face a court hearing in early November.

O'Neal senior's lawyer is confident that he can beat the charges.

"I have full confidence that Ryan will be vindicated," said Werksman.

But the Los Angeles Country's District Attorney take a different position altogether.

"We would not have filed the charges if we did not think the evidence supported them," said a spokesperson.

PC Ali Woolmer was involved in the impromptu raid on a house in the East Chesterton area of Cambridge.

A 'sizeable' number of plants were seized -- but the grower was judged to be of 'good character' as well as being a community activist and was therefore given a caution instead of facing prosecution.

"This is absolutely disgraceful," said Lil Speed, a founding member of the East Chesterton Action Group.

"If anyone else was to be caught growing cannabis they could at least expect to go to court and even prison."

"I think I'll start growing cannabis."

"Just because he is involved in the community doesn't mean he should just be cautioned."

"He should be named and shamed."

PC Woolmer felt that his actions were justified by the circumstances of the case.

"During one of my crime inquiries, I chanced upon a sizeable amount of cannabis plants at an address in East Chesterton," he said in an mass email sent out to Cambridgeshire Police officers.

"The plants were seized and will be destroyed."

"The occupant of the address admitted ownership of the plants and admitted they were for their own recreational use."

"The occupant was given an on-the-spot caution, due to their previous good character and pro-active role in an area of the northern sector community."

"However, growing cannabis is illegal and appropriate action had to be taken."

"The crime inquiry I was undertaking was a completely unrelated matter, so it was even more satisfying to come across this find."

He is about to start a new job with the Metropolitan Police.

"I hope that in some way, shape, or form I have managed to make a difference to some people," PC Woolmer said.

"But I know we cannot please everybody all the time, but at least I can say that I did my best."

Cluster headaches share some similarities with migraines and sufferers find them extremely debilitating.

"You go through a point when it's too sore to scream and all you can do is whimper, begging God over and over and over again," said Flash.

"I've fantasised about blowing my brains out so many times you wouldn't believe it."

Flash first experienced cluster headaches as a teenager, but the condition went undiagnosed by his GP for over three years -- until Flash decided to investigate his own condition.

"My doctor didn't have a clue," Flash revealed.

"He said I was grinding my teeth, or it was my sinuses."

"I was worried I had a brain tumour, so I got a book out about the brain."

"I looked at migraine, and cluster headache was on the next page."

"I took the book to the doc and he agreed it might be what I had."

But even after diagnosis, the GP failed to give Flash the help he needed.

"My doctor did the worst thing you can do to a person with cluster headache -- he put me on normal analgesics," he said.

"Aspirin, paracetamol, codeine -- doubling up on the codeine -- taking whatever you're allowed to each day."

"It took the lining off my stomach, and it aggravated the attacks until they got out of control."

It was Flash's decision to attend university that led him to the cure for his headaches.

He encountered LSD for the first time and whilst his experience on the drug was mixed, the ensuing months were free of cluster headaches.

The following two years were pain free, but Flash then began experiencing ''shadows' -- a term sufferers use to describe the sensation that an attack is imminent.

"There was no way I was going down without a fight," he said.

"I made a list of everything I'd done differently in 1993 and 1994 --and one thing stood out."

"It was the acid."

At this stage, Flash no longer knew any LSD dealers -- so he decided to experiment instead with psychedelic mushrooms.

"It was 50 per cent recreational and 50 per cent theoretical -- I was desperate," admits Flash.

The 'shadows' went away and Flash began taking a small dose of mushrooms every three months over a year.

"I started to tell people about it -- but they thought I was mad," he confesses.

He decided to establish whether the mushrooms really were a cure by deliberately inducing an attack by drinking whisky, followed by mushroom tea.

"The cluster attack came on full force and lasted 10 minutes, before it went 'pop' and was gone," he said.

"That was one of the best moments of my life."

"I'd kicked its arse, properly."

Anecdotal tales such as these have now inspired academic research into hallucinogens as a way to treat cluster headaches.

"It is a life-or-death situation for some of these patients," said Professor John Halpern of Harvard Medical School .

"This is a seriously debilitating condition"

"Your jaw drops at what people go through, the torture they go through just to get properly diagnosed."

"Many people do OK using conventional medication, but we have a moral obligation to those people that are treatment-resistant."

Professor Halpern and his colleagues Dr R. Andrew Sewell and Dr Harrison G. Pope have published their research in the journal Neurology.

"Psilocybin and LSD may be effective in treating cluster attacks, possibly by a mechanism that is unrelated to their hallucinogenic properties," reads the report.

But they are careful to distance themselves from illegality.

“This report,” they added, “should not be misinterpreted as an endorsement of the use of illegal substances for self-treatment of cluster headache.”

For now, Flash remains symptom-free -- and anonymous.

As co-director of a company with 100 employees, he cannot afford to be identified with illegal drugs.

"Some people think that this cure is not palatable," he says.

"But I don't think you get multiple chances with something like this."

"This is the best treatment we have."

Many are concerned about cannabis's negative impact on young people's mental health.

One mother attributes her son's suicide to cannabis -- 18-year-old Matthew hung himself after taking LSD at a party.

"Without a doubt it was the cannabis that started it," said Collette White, 51, of St Mellons, Cardiff.

"It is phenomenally destructive."

White feels that drugs are far more available than when she was young.

"When I was young I knew it was there but we didn't go looking for it," she said.

"Now it is handed to them on a plate -- in schools and in their social circle."

"It's not only the drug but the people who they get involved with."

"You become pressurised into things without even knowing it."

"Some youngsters think they are indestructible but they are not."

"In 18 months Matthew turned from someone who was a really active individual into someone who didn't really want to do anything."

Psychologists in Wales have been studying the effects of cannabis on mental health -- a recent report claims that smoking the drug can increase the risk of psychotic illness by 40%.

"The study that has looked at the risk of psychosis suggests that people who use cannabis regularly, increases the risk two or three fold of developing a psychotic illness later in their lives," said Dr Stanley Zammit, a clinical lecturer in the psychology of medicine at Cardiff University.

"People do need to be aware of the long-term impacts."

"The more people use it the more wary they should be."

"Sometimes people can suffer from psychotic symptoms immediately after smoking cannabis like mild hallucinations."

"The people who suffer these symptoms are most at risk of developing problems in the future in my opinion."

Dr Zammit acknowledges that it is often hard to determine if cannabis is entirely to blame for mental health issues.

"It's a difficult area to study because you can't decide whether it's the cannabis risk or because of other choices in that person's lifestyle or personality," he said.

He also pointed out that the drug has become more readily available in recent times.

"Cannabis use has increased so much over the last 10 or 20 years," Dr Zammit said.

"It's almost abnormal not to use it these days."

Campaigners for the legalisation of cannabis believe that prohibition is making the problem worse -- they see regulated distribution of the drug as the answer.

"Personally, I'm not concerned about these figures as long as these youngsters know what they are doing," said Don Barnard, of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance.

"What really matters is that if one in every ten 15-year-old is smoking cannabis then the government strategy is failing."

"Obviously, our organisation would like to see cannabis legalised and then maybe these youngsters will find it harder to get hold of it when it is controlled."

"Although cannabis can have a negative impact on health, including mental health, in terms of relative harms it is considerably less harmful than alcohol or tobacco," says the report by the Beckley Foundation's Global Cannabis Commission.

"Historically there have only been two deaths worldwide attributed to cannabis, whereas alcohol and tobacco together are responsible for an estimated 150,000 deaths per annum in the UK alone."

"Many of the harms associated with cannabis use are the result of prohibition itself, particularly the social harms arising from arrest and imprisonment."

"Cannabis came under the control of the international narcotics treaties as an afterthought, in an era when use of the drug was confined to relatively small groups in a scattering of cultures."

"In the last half-century, the situation has been transformed."

"Smoking or other use of cannabis has become a part of youth culture in country after country."

"To serve this demand, huge international and national illicit markets have arisen."

"Strenuous efforts to enforce prohibition by policing and by quasi-military operations against illicit growing and sale have largely failed in their principal objective."

"Meanwhile, the efforts in themselves create substantial anguish and social harms."

"In the United States, about three-quarters of a million citizens are arrested every year for cannabis possession, and arrest figures are also high elsewhere."

The report then goes on to say that the only solution to the problems caused by prohbition is to regulate the sale of cannabis.

"It is only through a regulated market that we can better protect young people from the ever more potent forms of dope," it says.

"In an alternative system of regulated availability, market controls such as taxation, minimum age requirements, labelling and potency limits are available to minimise the harms associated with cannabis use."

The report will be submitted to the United Nations Strategic Drug Policy Review next year.

Alan, a 28-year-old recovering addict, has played a key role in bringing Cocaine Anonymous to the Scottish town.

"This is the first time since childhood I have been clean for so long," he said.

"I was in a really bad mess prior to that and the Cocaine Anonymous fellowship has changed my life."

"From a very young age I was involved in drink and drugs and became a regular user when I was about 12 or 13."

"I started off with cannabis but soon progressed on to ecstasy and speed."

"When I was young cocaine was unaffordable, I simply couldn't afford a gram of coke at £50 to £60," Alan revealed.

"Cocaine's come down in price and earnings have gone up and I know people in my own family that are 17 or 18 who tell me they've gone out and went half on a gram at £20."

"When I was young I looked around the clubs and it was the city high flyers who were on coke."

" I called it the rich man's drug, but it's become so much more attainable -- so much more affordable to the public."

Alan eventually married and started a family, but a stable home life did not prevent him abusing alcohol and drugs.

"I worked in a warehouse and everything I earned went on drink and drugs," he confessed.

"It got so bad that I could pop out for a paper on a Sunday and not come back until Tuesday or Wednesday -- I really felt as if I was drinking and using drugs against my will."

His drug use increased along with his debts -- which eventually led him to begin dealing.

"I started selling drugs but only turned a profit in the first week," Alan said.

"After about a month I was my only customer -- I was surrounded by mountains of powder and taking it all myself."

Desperate for help, Alan turned to drug support agencies -- but to no avail.

It was only when he encountered Cocaine Anonymous that he began to recover.

"I tried everything to get help but nothing worked and I started to think the best thing I could do would be to take my own life," said Alan.

"I felt it would be better for my family that way."

"I was literally at the stage of wondering how to kill myself while making it look like an accident so my family did not feel as if it could have been prevented."

"While I was sat in front of the computer feeling utterly desperate I typed ‘cocaine’ and ‘anonymous’ into a search engine and found the fellowship."

"I discovered there was a meeting in Glasgow that night and just went straight out to the car and drove through."

Alan found the support he needed and embarked on the 12-step programme.

"It was an addict helping another addict -- they felt like I felt, they acted as I acted, they did what I did," he stated.

"When I could see people who were very similar to me recovering I just believed, 'Well if it can work for them, why can't it work for me?'

He found that being clean was not the ordeal that he was expecting.

"I used to think life would be boring without drink and drugs but nothing could be further from the truth," admitted Alan.

Ambrozine Heron, 77, and her daughter Paulette Chambers, 49, were intercepted by customs officials at Dover after they had made a total of 14 trips to Holland.

A search revealed 40 tins labelled as palm oil that contained cocaine.

“I don’t know anything about that," said Heron when questioned by officials.

“I just went with my daughter."

"I didn’t ask any questions because I’m not a nosy person."

“I don’t smoke or drink."

"What am I doing with drugs?”

Although Heron denied her involvement, her daughter admitted her role in the smuggling operation.

Edmund Anderson, a 47-year-old security guard indicted in the case was acquitted of any involvement.

He originally told customs officers that he had been on holiday in the south of France with the two women -- but he claimed later that he was merely acting as a taxi driver for them.

Heron claimed that Chambers was having an affair with her daughter -- a claim he denied.

Chambers told Canterbury Crown Court that he did not know what was happening when he dropped the two women off at an apartment building in Amsterdam.

The grandmother now faces a lengthy prison sentence after being found guilty of importing Class A drugs.

Although she suffers from asthma, diabetes and arthritis, the severity of the crime means that a custodial sentence is almost certain -- especially as she denied her involvement.

"The caffeine content of energy drinks varies over a ten-fold range, with some containing the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola -- yet the caffeine amounts are often unlabelled and few include warnings about the potential health risks of caffeine intoxication," said Dr Roland Griffiths of Johns Hopkins University, co-author of the study.

"It's like drinking a serving of an alcoholic beverage and not knowing if its beer or scotch."

As energy drinks have grown in popularity, hospitals have seen an attendant rise in admissions from patients who have consumed these products -- often with alcohol.

"Alcohol adds another level of danger because caffeine in high doses can give users a false sense of alertness that provides incentive to drive a car or in other ways put themselves in danger," Dr Griffiths said.

Caffeine has a number of undesirable side-effects such as anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal distress, tremors, rapid heartbeat, and in rare cases, death.

Yet there is a currently a disparity between labelling requirements for medicines containing caffeine and energy drinks.

"It's notable that over-the-counter caffeine-containing products require warning labels, yet energy drinks do not," says Dr Chad Reissig, Ph.D., another co-author of the study.

But the drinks industry has yet to face serious pressure to change the way that these products are labelled.

Their position is bland and non-committal.

"All energy drinks should be consumed in moderation," said a spokesperson for the British Soft Drinks Association.

Mohammed Fawad, 24, told police he was looking after the crack for other men -- he was hoping to receive a small amount of crack cocaine as his fee.

Prosecuting counsel Mercedeh Jabbari told the court that police community support officers saw a Peugeot and recognised two of the men in the car -- Fawad was in the passenger seat.

Fawad got out of the car and officers saw him go into a house -- he was then seen leaving and attempting to hide near a parked car.

Jabbari told the court that when the officers called his name, Fawad went over to them and was cooperative.

The community support officers called out two regular police officers and one conducted a search of the three men.

One had more than £900 on him and another also had cash on him -- Fawad was found with £30.

A further search of Fawad revealed 4.51 grams of crack cocaine concealed in his underwear -- with a street value of around £450.

Fawad pleaded guilty on the basis that he had been asked to look after the drugs by two men a few days before.

He was planning to give it back on the day of his arrest.

He admitted in court to possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply.

In sentencing, Recorder Alison Bancroft told that he would face a custodial sentence -- in spite of having no previous record for drug related crime.

Fawad will now serve a 27 month jail term.

An internal police audit found that drugs listed as destroyed have been kept, while chemicals that should have been stored are missing.

Senior police officers admitted privately that they are unable to say what exactly happened to the missing drugs.

"The truth is we will never know," said an anonymous police source.

"Many cases go back years and it is impossible to find out what really happened in each case."

Previous police audits of the forensic service have left the problem unresolved -- it is now up to the Ombudsman to investigate.

The Ombudsman's involvement began after allegations from within the police force that there was a serious problem with the handling and storage of drugs by the forensic service.

Ombudsman investigators took the allegations seriously enough to register a member of the police department as a protected internal source.

Investigators do have some leads relating to corruption cases dating back over 15 years ago.

In 1991, police discovered that 10 kilograms of seized chemical used to make amphetamines had been switched with tile grout after it had been seized.

Further investigations found that drug squad detective Kevin Hicks organised several burglaries to allow criminals to steal back seized chemicals.

He was later given a five year jail sentence after pleading guilty to theft, bribery and burglary charges.

A spokeswoman for the Ombudsman's Office refused to comment on the new inquiry.

"We cannot provide any information at all," she said.

Ecstasy is the third most popular illegal drug in Britain -- 5% of young people aged 16 to 24 claim to have used it in the last year.

Professor David Nutt, incoming chairman of the ACMD, gave evidence to MPs earlier this year asserting that alcohol and tobacco were more dangerous than drugs such as ecstasy.

"The whole harm reduction message disappears because people say, 'They are lying'," he said.

"Let's treat people as adults, tell them the truth and hopefully work with them to minimise its use."

MPs also heard from Professor Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research Council, who said that ecstasy was 'at the bottom of the scale of harm' and 'on the basis of present evidence should not be a class A drug.'

The ACMD is now launching a review to determine whether ecstasy should be downgraded from Class A to Class B.

Transform, a leading campaign group calling for drugs to be legalised, has made a submission to the review stating that the classification system is 'harmful and counterproductive.'

Support for downgrading has also come from commentators in the media.

"Ecstasy is not an addictive drug and it is already eight years since a Police Foundation inquiry found it to be several thousand times less dangerous than heroin and to play a part in fewer than 10 deaths per year," wrote Sophie Morris in The Independent.

"Ever since the tragic death of Leah Betts in 1995, though, it has been difficult to shake ecstasy's reputation as a killer."

"Does anyone remember the one about the clubber who was so blissed out on ecstasy that he started a fight on a bus and stabbed an innocent bystander?"

"Of course you haven't heard any such tales, because ecstasy does not lead to the sort of violent and aggressive behaviour that alcohol does, nor does it develop into a dependency which users turn to crime to fund."

But the UK government has so far ignored calls for ecstasy to be downgraded.

"Ecstasy can and does kill unpredictably -- there is no such thing as a 'safe dose'," said a spokesperson for the Home Office.

"The government firmly believes that ecstasy should remain a Class A drug."

"Buying drugs on the Internet is really easy," said Daniel Altmeyer, an Interpol officer addressing the World Forum Against Drugs.

"You only need an Internet cafe, a credit card, and it's done."

"It's a new kind of audience, helping new people to try many new things."

The distributed nature of the internet makes it harder for law enforcement agencies to clamp down on the drug trade.

"The crime doesn't take place in the machine," Altmeyer said.

"A website may be hosted in Sweden, but the drug will come from Latin America and will be shipped by boat to South Africa, with dealers spread out across Europe."

"It's a global network."

Another factor driving growth in drug trafficking on the internet is the ability to preserve privacy.

"You feel safe because it's anonymous," said Krister Gaefvert, a police inspector in Sweden.

"There's this feeling of being anonymous behind your screen...It doesn't always feel illegal."

But the corollary is that users are taking chances when dealing with people they don't know.

"With traditional trafficking, you knew your dealer, you knew where the drugs came from," Gaefvert said.

"Here, you don't know anything."

Around 90% of the illegal drugs traded on the internet are in fact pharmaceuticals.

"You find a lot of products with some comments from fake specialists and photos of people wearing a white lab coat," said Gaefvert.

"The purpose is to look very serious, just to make the client think that he's not doing anything illegal."

Drug enforcement is further complicated by the fact that a substance may be illegal in one country, yet it can be legal in another.

One example is ketamine -- while it is illegal in many countries, it is legal in India.

"If I find this website in India, even with the best laws in Sweden, Germany or the United States, they can send me as much ketamine as I want by post," said Altmeyer.

NHS Grampian have organised a conference in Aberdeen called Sex and Drugs and Crystal Meth -- backed by local authorities.

As well as the damage caused by crystal meth to the body, professionals are concerned that users will be much more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases.

"In Manchester, like London, it is more in pockets, particularly around the gay club scene, but there is a sense that this is a coming storm," said Colin Tyrie of Manchester's Public Health Development Service.

"If cocaine became less available, we may see an increase in crystal meth use."

"We would be worried if we got caught off our guard, particularly with the sexual health issue."

Tyrie's contribution to the conference is a presentation on a controversial research project that targets children that may be susceptible to drug abuse later in life.

"We know that drug users don't tend to come into contact with services until a year after they have begun risky behaviour," said Tyrie.

"If we are really serious about preventing infections and other consequences, should we be profiling people to see who is likely to engage in those risks?"

He acknowledges that there may be ethical issues with the approach, but they have not dissuaded him from continuing with the project.

"Schools find it very politically sensitive and people feel anxious about the stigma," Tyrie admitted.

"It taps into the concerns people have about the amount of information collected about them."

"But the real danger is people can't break away from their early experiences, and we don't make it possible for people to to change."

One expert known for her work with disadvantaged women who become pregnant concedes that crystal meth is uncommon in Scotland at the moment -- but she already has extensive experience of the damage that poverty and drugs can cause.

"We don't have huge amounts coming through the maternity service," said Dr Mary Hepburn, consultant obstetrician at Glasgow's Princess Royal Maternity Hospital.

"But crystal meth is an issue and we need to know about it."

"We are seeing more poverty-related ill health."

"It is more entrenched."

"Twenty years ago when drugs first came into this country the majority of drug using young women were 17-24."

"They tended to be fairly healthy but for their drug use."

"Now women are older and the social factors that cause ill health are more entrenched."

"Glaswegians who are disadvantaged have worse outcomes than disadvantaged incomers, including higher rates of prematurity and mortality, more babies born pre-term, and lower birth weights."

Dr Hepburn is convinced that drug users are not getting support due to prejudice.

"Putting in extra support applies for women who have mental health problems or a learning disability or a condition like diabetes -- but women who use drugs are seen as responsible for their own problems," she said.

But she is steadfast in her conviction that poverty lies at the heart of the problems she faces in Glasgow.

"Problem drug use is overwhelmingly linked to poverty and social disadvantage," Dr Hepburn said.

With fears growing around crystal meth, one speaker at the conference believes that any hysteria around the drug could cause more harm than good.

"We need to look at what we might do if and when it becomes an issue, but we need to be wary," said Tim Bottomley, a senior practitioner with Salford Drug and Alcohol Service.

"When heroin users started using crack in the 1990s, some of their curiosity was undoubtedly fuelled by headlines and politicians talking it up."

Rohni Vij, owner of Abbey Street Shopping Centre in Accrington, stocked pipes, grinders, and other items that could be used to prepare and consume cannabis alongside school uniforms.

"It’s a terrible example to set to young impressionable people coming in trying on their school uniforms," said Councillor Sean Serridge, Lancashire County Council’s ‘Champion for Young People.’

"It’s also not what parents want to see and have to explain to their children."

The shop also attracted the ire of the local constituency MP.

"I suspect the owners may not have considered this fully," said Greg Pope, MP for Hyndburn.

"I would urge them to have a re-think about what is appropriate in a school uniform shop."

But a local charity working with the homeless questioned whether there was a serious problem.

“We do deal with a lot of serious drug problems and I don’t think this would have any influence," said Dorothy McGregor of Maundy Relief.

"The shop are very generous when helping us outfit poorer families with school uniforms and I don’t think they would do anything immoral."

"I think they simply haven’t considered how people would react."

Vij has now returned all drug-related items to his suppliers.

"We didn't want to upset people and have sent the stock back to the supplier following complaints," he said.

"I am anti-drugs and don't like them."

"I have respected what other people have said about the items and I have removed them."

"I haven't done anything wrong or illegal but I don't want to upset my customers."

"If anyone has any problems I urge them to speak to me about it."

"We controlled who the items were sold to.

"If customers had come to me and told me I would have removed it."

The leader of the local council applauded Vij's actions.

"We have to congratulate them for being socially responsible," said Councillor Peter Britcliffe, leader of Hyndburn Council.

"I understand businesses are trying to make a living but it is excellent to see he is being socially responsible."

"He probably hadn't thought much about it until it was highlighted to him."

"Well done to him."

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. also sold to customers in Seattle, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Amsterdam.

The bust came about as a result of a two year investigation by the DEA.

They believe that Tainted Inc. used up to four tons of chocolate over that period in the manufacture of their products.

This is not the first bust of its kind -- Kenneth Affolter is currently languishing in jail after receiving a five year sentence for masterminding a similar operation.

Although California has legalised cannabis for medical use, the DEA continues to enforce federal drug laws regardless.

"These items could have harmful effects on a user, especially the unsuspecting ones," said Javier Pena of the DEA.

"We will continue to shut down these production lines, one marijuana-candy factory at a time."

The liberal drug policy practised in the Netherlands has resulted in the proliferation of 'head shops' that sell drug paraphernalia as well as botanical products that are psychoactive -- the most famous being the psilocybin-containing mushrooms, nicknamed 'paddoes' by the Dutch.

Whilst the levels of drug usage amongst Dutch citizens are generally lower than their counterparts in countries such as the UK and US, the influx of thrill-seeking tourists has created problems as they consume to excess.

In recent months, there have been several reports of tourists experiencing a form of psychosis brought about by consumption of mushrooms.

Matters came to a head in March of this year, when a 17-year-old French woman jumped from a bridge and died whilst under the influence.

Rather than an outright ban, Mayor Cohen is proposing a similar system of licensing to that used to regulate Amsterdam's coffee shops that sell cannabis to patrons.

Cohen's proposals would mean that potential consumers would have to register their interest in purchasing mushrooms and be given information by the retailer to take away and read.

After a three day period, they would be able to return to the retailer and purchase the mushrooms for consumption as usual.

Other towns in the Netherlands have already introduced licensing for magic mushroom sellers -- but Amsterdam represents the most significant centre of the consumption of psychedelics, especially by tourists.

The proposals have now been submitted to Ab Klink, the Dutch minister for health, for his consideration.

"Some have considered large-scale cannabis cultivation as an almost 'victimless crime' but the reality is that vulnerable young people are being exploited," said Martin Barnes, head of think tank Drugscope.

"Unfortunately they find themselves victims twice over –- both at the hands of the criminal gangs who brought them to this country, forcing them to work in cramped, dangerous conditions to fuel the illegal drug trade -- and again when they find themselves treated as criminals by the UK authorities."

A recent Home Office report into child trafficking identified 'Vietnamese young people as a vulnerable group who had been particularly exploited in cannabis production.'

The report went on to recommend that the Crown Prosecution Service should 'avoid prosecuting trafficked cannabis farmers.'

Such sentiments were backed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, when he told an All Party Parliamentary group on child trafficking that he would be 'warning prosecutors to take into account the back story of children found working in cannabis factories.'

As yet, no formal guidance has been issued to courts about how to treat such cases -- such as one pending case involving a trafficked 14-year-old girl charged with cultivation.

"DrugScope urges the Home Office to issue formal guidance as soon as possible to the UK courts," said Barnes.

"These children should not be serving jail terms -– they should be given support and protection."

The growing operation was discovered by accident during helicopter surveillance connected with an unrelated case.

Suspicions were raised by the distinctive colour of the plants contrasting with the surrounding vegetation.

The site is a few hundred yards behind the regional DEA and FBI headquarters.

However. the plants could not be seen from the DEA building, which is separated from the forest by a small lake.

DEA agents had to wait for flood water to subside before moving in to investigate.

They discovered an abandoned cannabis farm with over 300 plants,

"It wasn't a handful of seeds thrown in there haphazardly," said Special Agent Michelle Deaver, DEA spokeswoman in Dallas.

"It was a groomed marijuana field."

It seems that the flood waters drove out the budding cannabis farmers behind the plantation.

"There were no booby traps, so that's good. Or snakes," Agent Deaver said.

"I'm sure the agents were eaten up with mosquitoes, though."

"Because the alcohol is not in liquid form, we can sell it to people below 16," said co-inventor Martyn van Nierop.

When the powder is added to water, it produces an effervescent coloured drink with an alcohol content of 3%.

The powder has been branded as Booz2Go and comes in 20 gram packets that could retail for £1.

"We are aiming for the youth market. They are really more into it because you can compare it with Bacardi-mixed drinks," said co-inventor Harm van Elderen.

The group of five inventors created the product for their final year project at the Helicon Vocational Institute.

They may have found their vocation as several manufacturers are keen to produce the powder.

Particularly as alcohol in powder form wouldn't be subject to the usual taxes levied, as well as being legal to sell to children.

Affolter was convicted last year along with 11 other dealers involved in the enterprise.

Grow rooms were used to produce Cannabis that was then made into oil that was added to confectionery and soft drinks.

Affolter created names for his products that were puns on Hershey's products.

Jolly Rancher became Stoney Rancher, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were retooled as Rasta Reese's and Kit Kat transmogrified into Keef Kat.

The lawsuit accuses Affolter of trademark infringement, trademark dilution and unfair competition.

Writs were served on Affolter while he was in a county jail awaiting transfer to a state prison.

Affolter's lawyer is now negotiating with Hershey's.

Dancer was busted by customs officials getting off a plane from Heathrow Airport.

When asked by customs why he had three plastic bags filled with powdered cocoa in his luggage, he claimed to be a teacher of chocolate making.

But when a search of his luggage yielded just over a kilo of another brown substance -- pure MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy pills -- Dancer was taken into custody.

Another bizarrely named individual called Denise Kismet came forward to offer up to US$1.1 million to get Dancer out on bail.

Dancer has also requested to be allowed to stay with Kismet in Hawaii for the duration of the trial.

"Mr. Dancer has no intention of fleeing," said federal defender Andrew Carter.

"He intends to stay and fight this case."

Until bail has been set, Dancer must remain in custody.

Whilst incarcerated, Dancer is being forced to comsume food and drink he would otherwise refuse due to a strict diet free from processed and cooked foods.

His defence requested that he only consume raw organic food and drinks in glass containers as he thinks that plastic contaminants leech into liquids.

"My client is on a very special diet. He only consumes fresh organic foods," said Carter.

Here are a selection of verbatim quotes, some of which were not widely reported at the time they were made. The frank nature of some of these confessions may surprise you.

Angelina Jolie: I hate heroin because it fascinates me. I am not immune to it, but I never want to try it again.

Colin Farrell: I ended up on a psychiatric couch and the doctor told me to write down how many times I did drugs in a week: 20 ecstasies, 4 grammes of cocaine, 6 grammes of speed, 30 grammes of hashish, 3 bottles of Jack Daniels, 12 bottles of red wine and 30 litres of beer.

Davina McCall: Name me a drug and I will tell you I tried it. Cocaine, ecstasy, heroin even – but I never injected it. I was working and it seemed like I had everything under control. But then sudden mood swings appeared.

George Clooney: When I was in college, I loved to trip. It was an escape. I also loved magic mushrooms. They were like a lighter version of a trip. I also loved cocaine. Cocaine prepared you for a party, but it never actually takes you there. Every time, you think it will be excellent, but then depression kicks in.

George Michael: Cannabis keeps me aware and happy – but it is obviously not quite healthy. You cannot afford to smoke cannabis if there is work to be done.

Naomi Campbell: It was one time at a concert somewhere in Europe when cocaine was offered to me. I felt invincible. As if I could conquer the world. I was simply self-confident more than it is normal. But this was all a misconception because when you wake up the next day and the effect of cocaine ends, you feel terrible. The more cocaine you take, the more you want it. And this is how you become an addict.

Sienna Miller: I still love unusual hallucinogenic drugs. If I could have my pick, it would be magic mushrooms.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recent warning that Cocaine was being illegally marketed as a street drug alternative and a dietary supplement.

FDA officials cited statements such as 'Speed in a Can', 'Liquid Cocaine', and 'Cocaine -- Instant Rush' found on the packaging and website in support of their claims.

The Attorney Generals for Connecticut and Illinois recently forced the makers to stop marketing Cocaine in those states, while a judge in Texas has ended distribution there.

"Our goal is to literally flush Cocaine down the drain across the nation," said Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General for Connecticut.

"Our main complaint about Cocaine is its name and marketing strategy seeking to glorify illegal drug use and exploit the allure of marketing 'Speed in a Can,' as it called the product."

The manufacturers insists Cocaine, on sale since August 2006, contains no drugs and is marketed as an energy drink.

"Of course, we intended for Cocaine energy drink to be a legal alternative the same way that celibacy is an alternative to premarital sex," said Bud Ivey of Redux Beverages, makers of Cocaine.

"It's not the same thing and no one thinks it is. Our product doesn't have any cocaine in it. No one thinks that it does."

Officer J.R. Smith, 35, told the judge at his hearing that he regretted what had happened.

"I'm sorry," he said with a voice that was barely audible.

Officer Smith and former Officer Gregg Junnier, 40, pleaded guilty to manslaughter as well as a host of charges relating to an attempted cover-up.

Both men are expected to face more than 10 years in prison.

A third officer still faces charges.

The charges followed a 'no-knock' drug raid on the home of Kathryn Johnston, 92, that went disastrously wrong.

An informant had described buying drugs from a dealer there, according to Police.

When officers prised off burglar bars and burst in without warning, Johnston fired a single shot back that failed to injure anyone.

They returned with 39 shots, striking her five or six times, including a fatal blow to the chest.

Injuries sustained by officers in the raid were due to friendly fire and not Johnston’s gun.

Assistant US Attorney Yonette Sam-Buchanan claims that although no drugs were found in Johnston's home, Smith planted three bags of cannabis in the home as part of a cover-up.

To get the warrant, officers told a judge that an undercover informant claimed that the home had surveillance cameras monitored carefully by a drug dealer named Sam.

After the shooting, a man claiming to be the informant told a television station that he had never purchased drugs there.

Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington reacted to the allegation by stating that he was personally uncertain whether the suspected drug dealer ever existed.

Pennington has ordered drug testing for nearly 1,800 officers and improved oversight of narcotics operations and the issuing of no-knock warrants.

The Reverend Markel Hutchins, a civil rights activist acting as a spokesman for Johnston's family, said the family was satisfied with the officer's admission of guilt.

"They have never sought vengeance. They have only sought justice," he said.

Not according to right-wing Amsterdam politician and coffee shop owner Michael Veling.

"It is ridiculous to think that a smoking ban would be the end of coffee shops," he said.

Mixing cannabis with tobacco is popular throughout Europe, unlike the rest of the world where it is generally smoked pure.

The tobacco ban may now spur a switch to pipes or vapourisers such as the volcano that heats and vapourises the active ingreditents in cannabis, filling up a balloon that users inhale.

"Nearly all of our American customers do that anyway, using pipes or the volcano. On good days, when the shop is full of Americans, we sell 100 or 200 of these balloons," according to Veling.

Cannabis is formally banned in the Netherlands but buyers are allowed to have less than five grams of cannabis in their possession under a polcy of tolerance.

Licensed coffee shops that sell cannabis can keep stocks of up to 500 grams.

Although many coffee shop owners are worried about the upcoming ban, Veling is unconcerned.

There was similar scepticism when the Goverment recently banned coffee shops from also selling alcohol, with predictions that trade would suffer.

Veling believes that if anything, cannabis sales have shot up.

"They smoke more, that's my impression."

Alpine countries such as Switzerland and Liechtenstein have benefited from hemp's ability to enable cows to produce more and better milk.

Farmers particularly appreciate the fact that hemp is cheap and easy to cultivate.

However, the Agriculture Ministry claims that THC -- a key active substance in cannabis grown for drug purposes -- is in danger of entering the human food chain and poses a health risk to humans.

Of particular concern is that Swiss cheese -- an iconic symbol of the country -- could be contaminated with THC.

Hemp is a common name for common cannabis and the name most used when the plant is grown for industrial purposes.

Although the hemp strains being fed to cattle are extremely low in THC, the Ministry warns that farmers caught using hemp fodder will be prosecuted.

“Many of the cows are stressed nowadays," Liechtenstein hemp farmer Jean-Pierre Egger said. "If they eat hemp, they calm down. Now, a milk cow which is calm produces better milk. That is a fact.”

Barry Cooper favours the legalisation of cannabis as he believes the war on drugs is a waste of resources.

"My main motivation in all of this is to teach Americans their civil liberties and what drives me in this is injustice and unfairness in our system," Cooper said

As a drug enforcement agent, Cooper made more than 800 arrests and seized more than 50 vehicles as well as $500,000 in cash and assets.

"He was even better than he says he was," said Tom Finley, Cooper's former boss on a West Texas drug task force. "He was probably the best narcotics officer in the state and maybe the country during his time with the task force."

News of the video has angered authorities, including Richard Sanders, an agent with the Tyler Drug Enforcement Agency. Sanders plans to investigate if the video violates any laws.

"It outrages me personally as I'm sure it does any officer that has sworn an oath to uphold the laws of this state, and nation," Sanders said. "It is clear that his whole deal is to make money and he has found some sort of scheme, but for him to go to the dark side and do this is infuriating."

Complaints about the mysteriously dissolving euros began accumulating in late October. An investigation revealed initially that "the destroyed bank notes came in contact with sulphuric acid, which led to the observed disintegration," the Bild newspaper reported on November 2nd.

It is believed that the bills were somehow coated with a sulphur salt, which would have formed a potent acid in combination with perspiration from a person's hands, causing the bills to decompose. Which could explain the affair as some sort of practical joke, if cruel and expensive.

But a new theory has emerged that identifies the culprits as drug users who have inadvertently caused all this. It has been surmised that a batch of crystal meth may have been contaminated with a sulphur salt. This could have been a result of the manufacturing process or an attempt to 'cut' the drug thereby increasing the overall weight and therefore profits.

The mystery has yet to be solved. But it is certain that whatever the outcome, it will be something noteworthy.

In 1884 Sigmund Freud was a young, obscure neurologist and not yet the pope of psychoanalysis. Freud found cocaine to be a solution for his depression, chronic fatigue and other neurotic symptoms. Up until this point, cocaine had only been researched as a local anaesthetic, although the Germany army was studying its ability to make the user endure fatigue.

To put it mildly, Freud fell in love with cocaine. In a letter to his fiancee he wrote 'In my last severe depression I took coca again and a small dose lifted me to the heights in a wonderful fashion. I am now collecting the literature for a song of praise to this magical substance.' For all his enthusiasm, he made remarks that in retrospect look naive.

Freud had a love affair with cocaine and his evangelical attitude towards it probably made all the difference in its becoming a mainstream drug of choice today

Not only did he state that cocaine was not addictive, but that it could be used to cure alcohol and opium addiction. Nowadays powder cocaine and alcohol are abused in combination - as are crack cocaine and heroin, essentially refined opium.

Freud was paid by pharmaceutical giants like Merck and Parke Davies to endorse their rival brands of cocaine - so his self-experimentation may have led to a certain lack of objectivity.

No doubt inspired by Freud, Coca Cola went on sale for the first time in 1886. It was sold as a health tonic and generously laced with cocaine. Public figures like Pope Leo XII, Jules Verne and Thomas Edison all endorsed the therapeutic use of cocaine.

Ultimately, cocaine's addictive qualitities made it prohibited in countries like the US in 1914. But cocaine entered the emerging blues and jazz movements - a prototype form of rave culture that enjoyed cocaine alongside amphetamines and cannabis. By the 1970s, cocaine use had become widespread.

Today, cocaine is used in three main ways: smoking, injecting and sniffing. When smoked, it's usually in the form of crack cocaine. One of the main risks apart from chronic addiction associated with smoking crack is that it increases sexual desire and users are much more likely to practise unsafe sex - especially if they are exchanging sexual favours for crack. Another risk with smoking crack is that it can cause severe burns in the mouth, which may lead to HIV being transmitted through oral sex.

Injecting cocaine and heroin together is becoming a common practice, especially as crack usage is often accompanied by heroin use. An unforeseen hazard of this is that cocaine anaesthetises the blood vessel it is injected into. This means that if you inject and artery by accident instead of a vein, you wouldn't feel any pain and you wouldn't realise something was wrong - which could lead to fatal complications. It goes without saying that sharing needles is an easy way to transmit HIV, hepatitis C and other blood borne diseases. Clean needles can be obtained from drug treatment agencies or ask your GP.

Sniffing powder cocaine can lead to loss of nasal tissue such as the septum. It's tricky sharing snorting tubes, because tiny particles of blood are left on the tube, which can transmit hepatitis C (potentially fatal). Doctors have also found strange lumps in the lungs of cocaine sniffers called cellulose granulomas. They are made up of the adulterants that cocaine is cut with that don't get absorbed by the body.

This is the unglamorous side of cocaine use. Even those who treat it like a champagne drug are prone to ignore its downsides, rather like Sigmund Freud. Let's hope his great-grandson Mathew is much more sensible.

Ketamine was originally developed in the 1960s as an anaesthetic for use in surgery. It has become especially popular in the Third World as it can be given without a trained anaesthetist present - Ketamine, also known as 'K' or 'Special K', does not affect breathing and heart rate in the same way as other anaesthetics, which require careful monitoring of vital signs in case of any threat to life.

Animal studies have indicated that Ketamine can prevent brain damage like the damage that happens when you get a stroke. Many of the problems associated with strokes are actually caused by what happens afterwards. A chemical called glutamate is released in the brain. Brain cells then take this as a signal to explode and release more glutamate, causing more cells to die in a chain reaction known as 'glutamate cascade'.

Ketamine blocks a particular brain receptor called the NMDA receptor, which shuts off this chain reaction and thereby prevents brain damage. Although this protective effect has been demonstrated in animals, little work has been done in trying to administer Ketamine to humans suffering from strokes. And drug which hopes to minimise brain damage must generally be administered a short time after the stroke. But some physicians believe Ketamine is a promising treatment and the day may yet come when it is used to alleviate the long-term effects of strokes.

Recent research indicates that Ketamine is a highly promising treatment for long-term depression. A recent study saw 17 patients with depression given a dose of Ketamine. Within hours they reported relief from their symptoms. Current treatments for depression normally take several weeks or months to begin working.

This rapid effect has caused excitement in the medical community and may lead to many new treatments for depression. Dr Thomas Insel, director of NIMH, commented: "To my knowledge, this is the first report of any medication or other treatment that results in such a pronounced, rapid, prolonged response with a single dose. These were very treatment-resistant patients."

The same NMDA blocking effect that prevents stroke damage could be also be used to interrupt drug addiction, often associated with depression. Both Ibogaine and Harmaline (found in Ayahuasca) block the NMDA receptor like Ketamine, which seems to be one factor behind the addiction interrupting qualities of all three substances.

In Russia, scientists have for several years used Ketamine with some success to treat alcoholics and are now turning their attention to heroin addicts. It seems that Ketamine can interrupt addiction for many months after administration by psychotherapists and improve your chances of not relapsing back into addiction.

Ironically, K itself can be addictive. Ketamine aficionado DM Turner noted: "After about two years of once-per-week Ketamine use I found that I had developed an addiction... it took considerable effort to break the cycle of repeatedly using it, even though I was aware of detrimental effects that it was causing. Since that time I've used Ketamine only occasionally, but find that I must continually exercise a high degree of will power to prevent myself from falling into a pattern of regular use."

Both Ibogaine and Ayahuasca seem to have far less potential for addiction than Ketamine and are also being investigated by scientists as treatments for addicts.

Amphethamines (aka Speed) were first synthesised in Germany in the late 19th Century. It wasn't until 1919 that Japanese scientists cooked up ephedrine with red phosphorus and iodine to make methamphetamine. Amphetamines were put to work in World War II by the Nazis -- it is said that Hitler received intravenous injections of methamphetamines. Just how many and what effect they had on his mental wellbeing is a matter of some debate. As Hitler's body was burnt and thus no autopsy performed, this remains one of the great what if questions of narcohistory.

The drug's Nazi links certainly didn't deter white supremacists such as the Aryan Brotherhood and the Nazi Low Riders from pushing it to Americans in the 1970s. As a result, we have a pretty good idea of what damage this drug can wreak -- which provides a chilling insight into what clubbers and gay men using the drug now have to look forward to.

Here is an extract from a typical account on the well-known drug resource site Erowid, entitled Avoid at All Costs:

The Moral of the Story: Speed is dangerous, highly addictive and simply bad news. I had many other experiences similar to the one described above (although that was the worst one) but instead of saying, 'This is insane, why am I doing this to myself?' I just kept on doing speed, although I honestly exercised moderation, which put me on the fringe of the hard-core speed addict world which was downright frightening.

Some of the things I saw when 'scoring' with some of my hard-core friends would break your heart and looked like scenes straight out of Cops.

I can remember waiting for several hours at a woman's house (she was a fully-blown addict) with my friend, with her and with her two kids, aged appx. 10 and 15. This family scene with Mom as a speedfreak doing $10,000 speed deals on the kitchen table right in front of the kids was horrifying.

Stay away from the WHITE DEVIL.

Even with all the potential Methamphetamine has for abuse, it is still prescribed by the medical profession to treat conditions such as ADHD. This is partly to do with the fact that mental capacity is not reduced directly by the drug. Some studies have in fact shown slight increases in mental capacity when performing simple tasks.

This may be a good lead for researchers to find drugs to treat ADHD without the side-effects. But it is highly debatable as to whether drug companies should be legally producing such a dangerous substance with the potential to end up on the black market.

The program is already underway, said Chris Ball, acting chief inspector for Mid Sussex. "We have been running pilot operations in the three towns of Mid Sussex -- Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and East Grinstead -- since December 2005 and the reaction of the customers has been positive.

Pub owner’s groups and civil libertarians were not that impressed, however, crying foul and emphasising that it constitutes unwarranted intrusion of personal privacy.
Legal analyst Peter Coulson commented to Morning Advertiser “"These plans are out of all proportion and to involve the trade in such an initiative without some form of national policy or legislation is a step too far. It places licensees between a rock and a hard place in terms of customers and the police, but I am particularly concerned about the queue drop-out scenario. People may wish to drop out of a queue on principle, but that shouldn't raise suspicion of drug carrying and it smacks of guilty until proved innocent,"

Pub owners in Sussex equally were not impressed. "I can see this being exceedingly unpopular with any law-abiding citizen," said one pub owner from Lewes. "Customers will simply not turn up at a pub if they suspect they are going to have to go through this sort of testing. We want to work with the police in the fight against drugs, but we have to balance this with the effect that swab testing might have on business. I have grave concerns about the implications for my license and livelihood."

As for public reaction only time will tell if this scheme proves to be popular
more info

This study coming from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore was billed as one of the most dramatic warnings clubbing world has ever received over the dangers of extremely popular then drug. It concluded that whoever takes just one or two tablets for the evening risk long-term damage to the brain, which could culminate in developing Parkinson’s disease later in life.

Published in respected journal Science this study had a profound impact on doctors who talked of a ‘neurological time bomb’ facing users and politicians who demanded tighter anti-rave laws to deal with it. Not to mention Daily Mail and other UK tabloids hysteria about ‘killer drug’ ready to wipe out the generations. And the tough laws duly followed with the introduction of Anti-Rave Act in America and severe punishment for users in UK.

Ironically this entire storm came to embarrassing end when scientists involved failed to replicate their findings.
As it eventually transpired, it was a case of terrible scientific blunder and incorrect labelling on two laboratory bottles. The monkeys were in fact injected with doses of methamphetamine or speed, which is universally known to affect the body’s dopamine system. What followed next was retraction of the original study by Science and humiliation in academic circles for John Hopkins University, which received heavy research funding from US government and drug companies.

The laws have not been changed though and UK authorities refuted any attempts to downgrade ecstasy to class B so far.

Reputation of it being a ‘killer’ was however discredited in 2004 by Professor David Nutt who was at the time senior member of government advisory panel. “Ecstasy is not a class A drug. It shouldn’t be“…”After 15 dizzy years in the mainstream, ecstasy is unquestionably non-addictive, and appears to be relatively safe in the short term"…In fact, though the authorities prefer not to make the comparison, roughly 20 deaths a year ranks ecstasy alongside electric blankets in a list of Britain's biggest killers. As each year goes by, I get relatively more sanguine about the risks, rather than less," he said in his advice to the home affairs select committee.

Yet it is not safe to use it, especially when you don’t know the contents and for all the legal aspects and consequences it remains a class A drug.

But somehow MDMA makes a quiet comeback to clinical surgeries in USA being used to treat post traumatic stress disorder – approved for medical trials by DEA and USA Food and Drug Administration.

It doesn’t come as a total surprise to medical profession because MDMA was long known to possess therapeutic qualities and in late 70s and early 80s lived a thriving clinical life in America as a tool for forming bonds of trust between psychotherapists and their patients (especially on the West Coast). It was brought up to wider public attention by experiments of Dr. Alexander Shulgin who recommended it for use in therapy sessions. Only after it gained notoriety and popularity in the early 80s in Los Angeles it was banned by DEA in a move that was soon to be followed by Thatcher's Britain.
The rest is a well-known history.
But now in the ironic echo of Ricaurte failed experiment scientists from Duke University in America are reporting that MDMA more than the other amphetamine related drugs has been shown to reduce symptoms of Parkinson’s in mice. The study published in the open access journal Public Library of Science Biology also found out that MDMA acted through a pathway not related to common neurotransmitters like serotonin or norepinephrine.

“Future work will be required to understand how MDMA was able to ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson's in these mice and to assess the toxicity of MDMA and related compounds in greater detail in the future. However, this study opens the door to a search for compounds related to ecstasy, which may provide a more effective treatment in the later stages of the disease - and hopefully allow patients to perform the simple functions of everyday life independently again. “

Is that a new future for the banned drug?
Only time will tell

Similar results were reported in UK study by Jonathan Brotchie and team at the University of Manchester but never given wider publicity due to the unfortunate timing of the report.
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