Illegal marijuana production a billion-euro industry in Brabant alone

Some 1 billion euros in cannabis is produced in Brabant alone, the police announced in a special broadcast of Bureau Brabant in which attention was paid to subversive crime in the province. "Brabanders can definitely not smoke so much weed. A large part is therefore intended for export", the police said. The police and judicial authorities estimate that there are between 5,500 and 6,800 cannabis farms, containing about 1.5 million plants, in the province, These farms produce more than 340 thousand kilograms of cannabis every year. A large number of Dutch mayors have long been calling for legalizing cannabis cultivation, but the parliamentarians are very much set against it. The Dutch courts seem to slowly be taking the Mayor's side on this issue. In October last year, the court in Groningen found two weed growers guilty of cannabis cultivation but did not impose any punishment. The court in Leeuwarden did the same thing in October of this year, in the case against 66 year old activist and marijuana farmer Doede de Jong. The broadcast also paid attention to drug dumping and uncovering illegal drug laboratories. Over 2015 the police uncovered 14 drug labs and 30 storage areas in the province. In addition, more than 10 million euros in belongings were seized from arrested and convicted criminals.