Brits warned over ’12 vegetation that seem like hashish’ after police seizure
Brits growing certain types of plant in their gardens could get an unwanted visit from the police this summer if they are not careful, a plant expert has warned
It comes after a police force spotted suspicious-looking plants in a garden and knocked on the door to ask questions. Cambridgeshire Constabulary Police working in the Fenland area seized 15 plants growing in a “lovely green space” in Duke Street, Wisbech, on May 29.
But people insist the plants look like common garden plants. Posting on Facebook, the Policing Fenland team said: “Do you love Gardening? Well someone must in Duke Street, Wisbech, as the Neighbourhood Policing Team came across a lovely green space this morning.
“The plot was set out well, and there were items growing. However, upon closer inspection, we noticed that it was a funny looking plant that we have seen somewhere before.”
They added: “It was once quoted by Alan Titchmarsh ‘Gardening is, apart from having children, the most rewarding thing in life.’ Good effort, but unfortunately for this unknown Gardner, it won’t be as rewarding as your 15 cannabis plants now sit in our drugs property. Enquiries into the matter continue.”
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police told the Daily Star: “The plant was seized by us, which I can confirm was a cannabis plant. Enquiries are ongoing.” The force confirmed no arrests have been made.
The post went viral and raked in thousands of comments as people joked about “feeling safe”. However, others pointed out the plants looked like something else entirely. “Tomatoes I reckon,” wrote one. “Probably hemp,” another added.
One other wrote: “Could quite possibly be just hemp and you wouldn’t be able to tell until they started flowering. And the only thing hemp will give you if you tried smoking it would be a banging headache.” A fourth said: “They look like my tomato plants.”
Hemp and marijuana are the same plant, but hemp is a mixture of male and female cannabis plants. It tends to be taller and contains more fibre in its stalk. Hemp plants also don’t have the same intense aroma as marijuana. The plant is often used to create hemp protein powder, dairy-free milk, clothing and CBD oil. While hemp plants are legal, you need a licence to be able to grow them.
Plants that could be mistaken for cannabis
Tony Spencer, CEO of CBD company Spruce, said: “Being able to correctly identify a cannabis plant could be crucial if you suspect it might be growing on your property, especially where the laws prohibit its cultivation.
“There are a whole bunch of other garden plants that can look strikingly similar and even smell just like cannabis, so knowing the difference and seeking to avoid any confusion is advisable.”
There are 12 plants that could be wrongly mistaken for cannabis, according to Spencer, including woody shrub plant cassava, hemp-agrimony, the chaste tree, the Texas star hibiscus, the Japanese maple, the spider flower, the coral plant, the kenaf plant, okra, the southern marigold, the sulphur cinquefoil, and the Caucasian crosswort. All these plants have leaves that look similar to the cannabis plant, so gardeners must be aware of the differences.
Spencer added: “If you’ve identified one of the 12 plants we’ve listed growing in your garden then it is up to you how to proceed. However, common sense might suggest taking steps to limit any confusion from prying eyes, or noses.”
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