Hi All,
There is no forum section on legality, so I'll put this in here.
I live in a small, and what I thought was tolerant European country.
A few months ago I ordered a package from one of our preferred and popular vendors. I ordered two types of Vine (250g each), Caapi leaves (50g) and Chacruna (100g). I never received the parcel and eventually gave up and accepted its loss.
A week ago I received a citation from the police to answer to the charges of importing narcotics. I consulted a lawyer and requested an English interpreter.
I answered the Q&A, in which I was asked all the quesions I was expecting them to ask:
Did you order it? Why did you order it? What did you order? How much did you order? How did you pay? Have you ever ordered it before? Did you receive it? If so, where is it? Did you ever consume it? Was it for personal use? Was I aware of the legal status of the plants? etc...
I answered truthfully within the context of the quesitons and was careful not to go into any kind of monologue. I look corporate in that I am well groomed, have Clooneyesque gray hair and wear suits from Milan.
Why did I buy it?
-> I had read about its general medicinal properties. I have been treated for insomnia and anxiety and was looking for a more natural remedy than pharmaceutical drugs. This is fact and checks out with my doctor
Did you ever buy it before?
-> Yes
Where is it?
-> At home.
How much of it?
-> All of it.
Why?
-> I never consumed it because I am not suffering from anxiety induced insomnia at the moment. In short, I never needed to.
Legally this works in my favour. It shows that I bought it for a purpose but never used it. Possession and consumption are different in the eyes of the law. All of my statements and final statements indicated my ignorance on the legal status of the plants. Also I maintained my innocence and insisted that there was never any intention to use the plants as an hallucinogen.
When I was questioned about the hallucinatory properties of the plants I did tell them that I had subsequently found out that Caapi alone is not hallucinatory. Also when they asked if I had any knowledge of the legal status of the plants I declared my ignorance on the matter. I was not about to teach them that Caapi in all forms was actually legal and that they were wrong. The only plant that is questionable is the Chacruna as its alkaloids are controlled and prohibited. If this goes to court, I can then produce a lawyer and some research on the matter. If it goes that far and I can prove that the police wrongly seized what was actually legal, it puts their efforts in a less than better light.
I was content with the final report and what they had written down as answers to the quetions, so I signed the protocol.
They then produced a search warrant and took me home to search my flat, cellar and car. They seized what Caapi I had at home, plus all of my herbs and incense (pau d'arco, blue lotus, pink lotus, calea, frankincense, etc...)
The search warrant stipulated that they could seize any documents or literature pertaining to the charges. I have bookshelf full of books on the subject, as you could imagine. In the front seat of the my car was a copy of Food of the Gods. They were obviously not big readers because they completely ignored to look into any detail at anything.
The search seemed like a process they simply had to follow. They remained polite and did not turn anything over. They seemed satisified and discussed amongst themselves that I had been cooprative.
The next step is that this goes to the District Attorney's office and judicial Magistrate. I may be summonsed to appear before the courts and a further investigation may ensue. We'll see what happens.
So, to all of you out there be careful. Things are not as peachy as we think they are. Also, be very careful what you keep lying around and make sure everything is food grade and regular.
I will keep you updated.
Peace,
GM.
There is no forum section on legality, so I'll put this in here.
I live in a small, and what I thought was tolerant European country.
A few months ago I ordered a package from one of our preferred and popular vendors. I ordered two types of Vine (250g each), Caapi leaves (50g) and Chacruna (100g). I never received the parcel and eventually gave up and accepted its loss.
A week ago I received a citation from the police to answer to the charges of importing narcotics. I consulted a lawyer and requested an English interpreter.
I answered the Q&A, in which I was asked all the quesions I was expecting them to ask:
Did you order it? Why did you order it? What did you order? How much did you order? How did you pay? Have you ever ordered it before? Did you receive it? If so, where is it? Did you ever consume it? Was it for personal use? Was I aware of the legal status of the plants? etc...
I answered truthfully within the context of the quesitons and was careful not to go into any kind of monologue. I look corporate in that I am well groomed, have Clooneyesque gray hair and wear suits from Milan.
Why did I buy it?
-> I had read about its general medicinal properties. I have been treated for insomnia and anxiety and was looking for a more natural remedy than pharmaceutical drugs. This is fact and checks out with my doctor
Did you ever buy it before?
-> Yes
Where is it?
-> At home.
How much of it?
-> All of it.
Why?
-> I never consumed it because I am not suffering from anxiety induced insomnia at the moment. In short, I never needed to.
Legally this works in my favour. It shows that I bought it for a purpose but never used it. Possession and consumption are different in the eyes of the law. All of my statements and final statements indicated my ignorance on the legal status of the plants. Also I maintained my innocence and insisted that there was never any intention to use the plants as an hallucinogen.
When I was questioned about the hallucinatory properties of the plants I did tell them that I had subsequently found out that Caapi alone is not hallucinatory. Also when they asked if I had any knowledge of the legal status of the plants I declared my ignorance on the matter. I was not about to teach them that Caapi in all forms was actually legal and that they were wrong. The only plant that is questionable is the Chacruna as its alkaloids are controlled and prohibited. If this goes to court, I can then produce a lawyer and some research on the matter. If it goes that far and I can prove that the police wrongly seized what was actually legal, it puts their efforts in a less than better light.
I was content with the final report and what they had written down as answers to the quetions, so I signed the protocol.
They then produced a search warrant and took me home to search my flat, cellar and car. They seized what Caapi I had at home, plus all of my herbs and incense (pau d'arco, blue lotus, pink lotus, calea, frankincense, etc...)
The search warrant stipulated that they could seize any documents or literature pertaining to the charges. I have bookshelf full of books on the subject, as you could imagine. In the front seat of the my car was a copy of Food of the Gods. They were obviously not big readers because they completely ignored to look into any detail at anything.
The search seemed like a process they simply had to follow. They remained polite and did not turn anything over. They seemed satisified and discussed amongst themselves that I had been cooprative.
The next step is that this goes to the District Attorney's office and judicial Magistrate. I may be summonsed to appear before the courts and a further investigation may ensue. We'll see what happens.
So, to all of you out there be careful. Things are not as peachy as we think they are. Also, be very careful what you keep lying around and make sure everything is food grade and regular.
I will keep you updated.
Peace,
GM.
