Throughout the conflict in Northern Ireland both Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries have exacted violent and sometimes murderous 'punishments' on those they accused of having wronged their communities. Since the 1990s, the accusation most commonly levelled against the victims of these ‘punishment' attacks and murders has been one of involvement in the trade in illegal drugs. This brutal paramilitary 'justice' is one of the least researched aspects of the Northern Irish conflict.  Such “rough justice” has persisted and even increased in ferocity in spite of ceasefire  declarations  by the leading  paramilitary groups. There is some suspicion that the British State has at times been prepared to overlook drug related murders, even dismissing them as 'internal housekeeping' by paramilitaries.

"The Green Gold, the world of weed growing".

"Made visible what has always been imperceptible"

Songs have been sung, books have been written, much has been published about weed, but always from the point of view of bystanders on the sideline.

As ubiquitous as it is controversial, marijuana has emerged as a prominent economic and cultural force in North America despite massive government opposition. Although it is prohibited by federal law in the United States, half of all Americans have tried marijuana and tens of millions use the herb regularly for recreational as well as medicinal purposes.

Cannabis Cultivator demystifies the subject of growing pot by treating it as though it were conventional gardening. Clear, step-by-step instructions guide readers through everything from setting up the garden to the supplies needed to which systems work best.

In 1991, Alun Buffry was arrested and charged with Conspiracy to Import and Conspiracy to Supply Cannabis and was given two concurrent ten-year prison sentences.