Northland police: Aerial operations worthwhile as cannabis causes harm

Police say they are continuing to target cannabis growers because of the harm it causes. Photo / Supplied

Northland police say cannabis causes harm in the community, and that is why they continue to target those who grow it in aerial cannabis operations.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kevan Verry, Northland organised crime manager, said although police were focused on harder drugs, cannabis still hurts people.

"Community leaders in Northland regularly talk to us about the harm caused by cannabis in their communities, particularly among the more vulnerable. This is a key driver for us.

"Police will continue to focus our resources on the distributors of more harmful drugs, such as methamphetamine and synthetics.

"But we will also put the squeeze on anyone who is running and profiting from any commercial-scale illicit drug operation."

Northland police discovered 11,561 plants and seized $4360 in cash and 18 firearms during the summer's aerial cannabis operation.

One-third of the cannabis plants found throughout the country were in Northland this year.

Verry said there would be multiple reasons for the high proportion of plants in the region, including the favourable growing climate.

Aerial cannabis operations were only carried out by Northland, Waikato, Central, Tasman and Southern districts, with some also undertaken by the Financial Crime Group.

Individual district commanders were given the choice of whether to conduct aerial cannabis operations, after the nationwide operation was scrapped in 2021.

Police have continued aerial cannabis operations in Northland, Waikato, Central, Tasman and Southern districts. Photo / NZME

The largest individual crop discovered over the summer was 800 plants in the Far North, Verry said.

Medicinal cannabis advocates have been critical of the operation, which has destroyed crops belonging to "green fairies" who grow medicinal cannabis.

Advocate Pearl Schomburg said she knew of green fairies and people who were very ill growing their own medicinal cannabis who had their crops sprayed.

"It's pretty ludicrous when cannabis is legal on prescription but illegal if you take it into your own hands and grow your own plant and make your own medicine from it."

It was time people were allowed to grow their own medicinal cannabis, she said, particularly as doctors were so reluctant to prescribe it.

Green MP Chloe Swarbrick has also been critical of aerial cannabis operations, suggesting on social media that they are a waste of resources and target medicinal growers.

"With the police arguing consistently through that they're under-resourced and short-staffed, I can't imagine a less important thing for them to do than fly around in choppers to cut off someone's medicinal cannabis supply," she wrote on social media.