Harney has no plans to curb the sale of cannabis seeds

A set of the seeds, known as 'widow warrior', was purchased by the Sunday Tribune in the Nirvana shop on Dublin's South William Street last week.

The packet reveals that indoor flowering of the seeds takes between 56-70 days, and gives a "buzz" described as a "strong stoned effect, a real rush". It contains a "sweet bite" and is "heavy scented", the package also states.

Amid claims by anti-drug campaigners that individuals who purchase the seeds often do so in order to grow their own supply, Harney acknowledged in a recent written Dáil reply that while "the cultivation of cannabis itself is prohibited, except under licence for the purposes of research, the sale of cannabis seeds as novelty items is not prohibited."

A spokeswoman for Harney's department has since confirmed that there are no limits on the quantities of cannabis seeds which can be sold in head shops.

"The minister does not intend to change the law in this regard," she added.

But Gráinne Kenny, president of Europe Against Drugs (EURAD), said the fact that the sale of the seeds is not illegal "makes the law an ass". She said there was little doubt that individuals who buy the seeds often seek to "grow their own".

"Mary Harney has no interest in tackling illegal drugs," she said. "The government is in such a mess with health that drugs are just a poor relation. Cannabis affects mental health... there is no such thing as recreational drug use."

She also called for all head shops to be closed down, adding that the best way to do this appears to be for individual councillors to object to their setting up in a particular area. She said it was her belief that they serve "no social good".

However, Jim Bellamy, a director of Nirvana, described calls for head shops to be closed down as "nonsense".

"We sell the seeds as souvenirs of Ireland to show how democratic Ireland is," he said.

"We explain to people that you cannot grow them in Ireland. When people ask will these grow, we say not here, but that they will in a place where it is legal to do so."

Source: John Downes, Sunday Tribune, 26/10/2008