'DRUGS NOT CONDONED'

DRUG cultivation will not be condoned no matter what the circumstances, Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes says.

Mr Hughes yesterday said the excuse that marijuana cultivation or sales were the only source of income for some people would not be acceptable because there were other factors that needed to be considered.

He was reacting to the Member for Serua and Navosa Open, Pio Wong's, comments that people from his constituency would continue planting marijuana unless the Government heeded their plight and uplifted their standard of living.

He said the Government had completely forgotten the people of Navosa in its development plans.

But Mr Hughes said the standard of living of people was an economic issue best left for the relevant authorities to deal with.

"They are obviously overlooking the health aspect of cultivating and using marijuana," he said.

"Such things should not be legitimised no matter what the circumstances.

"A lot of people are suffering from drug use and this is an aspect which is often overlooked."