COPENHAGEN: Seven men were jailed for up to seven years by a Danish court here the other day in connection with a stash of 1.9 tonnes of hashish intended for sale in Copenhagen’s old hippy commune Freetown Christiana, where cannabis, although illegal, is sold openly.
The men are the first to be sentenced from a group of 76 people on trial for the drug haul, out of an initial 85 arrested in March last year — one of the largest cannabis distribution networks discovered in Denmark to date.
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The Copenhagen City Court handed down jail terms of between 2 1/2 and seven years to the men after finding them guilty of delivering, storing, smuggling and distributing cannabis.
The alleged kingpin, a 45-year-old Dane, was sentenced to seven years in jail, a sentence he appealed immediately.
Two other defendants also appealed, including one who was sentenced to six years. He was found to be storing 256 kilogrammes of cannabis resin in his home, although he told the court this was for personal use, not distribution, according to Danish television station TV2.
Freetown Christiana is a former army barracks that was claimed by hippies during the 1970s. Despite repeated threats from the authorities to close down the commune, it has survived for decades, in large part because of Denmark’s liberal society.
On Pusher Street, the nickname for the commune’s main street that has since become official, cannabis is sold publicly from small stands, even though Danish law does not allow it. From time to time the police clear the area.
According to Danish Health and Medicines Authority the average price of a gramme of cannabis on the street in December 2014 was 65 crowns, which brings the total amount of 1.9 tonnes worth 124 million crowns ($20 million).
