Police Raid High Culture

In New Zealand, a request by NORML News editor Chris Fowlie under the Official Information Act has revealed secret documents between Internal Affairs and several police officers--whose names are being withheld--that give the details of a plot to initiate a country-wide censor of NORML, High Times, and Cannabis Culture.

Three issues of Norml News were brought to example after cross-country raids on indoor gardening stores under Operation Lime. The police hope to have these news sources completely banned, devastating the reform culture and repressing freedom of expression in the process.

Aside from the three specific issues of Norml News, the police have request the pursuit of a "Serial Publication Order," which would mean that all existing and future copies of the magazine would be prohibited, instilling a full ban of publication, and criminalize thousands of New Zealanders who own copies of these materials.

Image: "alley" by mfcrowl on Flickr courtesy of Creative Commons Licensing.