Police uprooted and seized 14 marijuana plants which have grown to almost three meters tall at a back-yard garden of the owner's residential home at Mbokona housing estate in Honiara.

Police say the plants were well nurtured to maturity and were estimated to have been worth tens of thousands of dollars in the black market.

A tip off from an anonymous caller helped police to locate and seize the plants. However, the owner of the marijuana plants fled before the police raided his backyard.

Police are reportedly concerned with the high use of the drug amongst the youthful population. "You just need to check with the hospital to see that psychological illness is steadily on the increase," stated one police officer.

Doctors have warned that with high doses of marijuana users can experience the following symptoms:

. Hallucinations
. Delusions
. Impaired memory
. Disorientation

Doctors have also warned that smoking marijuana could have adverse effects on ones heart. Within a few minutes after smoking marijuana, the heart begins beating more rapidly and the blood pressure drops. Marijuana can cause the heart beat to increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute, and can increase even more if other drugs are used at the same time.

Doctors say that because of the lower blood pressure and higher heart rate, users' risk for a heart attack is four times higher within the first hour after smoking marijuana.


With SIBC