Cannabis Chronicles: Guess Where Dogs Get Weed As Pet Poisonings Increase In MA; Pot Burn In Sydney Surprises Residents

Egyptian Actress Menna Shalaby Gets One-Year Suspended Prison Sentence For Hashish Possession

The international Emmy nominee, Menna Shalaby received a one-year suspended sentence from a criminal court in Cairo for possession of hashish with the intention of consuming it, reported Ahram online.

The Egyptian-born 'Every Week Has a Friday' actress was detained in November at the Cario International Airport after authorities found hash in her luggage. Shalaby, who was returning to NYC, was released after several hours on EGP 50,000 (around $1820) bail after the prosecution requested to test the seized substances. The lab later confirmed that the substances contained hash and cannabis, both of which are under Drug List 1 of Egypt's drug law.

Under the suspended sentence, Shalaby will serve no jail time, but if she commits a similar offense in the ensuing three years, she'd be obliged to serve the one-year suspended sentence.

Shalaby was also fined EGP 10,000 though she denied the charges during the prosecution inquiry.

83 Cannabis Farms Found In Bradford East, UK Still The Number Of Grows Is Dropping Thanks To Police

Bradford, a city in the northern English county of West Yorkshire has seen a reduction in illegal cannabis farms last year.

The latest accessible figures show that a total of 232 marijuana farms were discovered in the Bradford district from January to October 2022, with estimates that the total number of cannabis farms for the whole year amounts to around 280, reported Telegraph & Argus.

The numbers show a downward trend, as 373 cannabis farms were discovered in 2021 and 359 in the year before.

Councillor Talat Sajawal of Little Horton, in the Bradford East ward, said: “The decline in the number of cannabis farms in the area is down to the great work of West Yorkshire Police and the work they are doing in the area.”

Most of the housing in this area is rented accommodation, which is a targeted type of residence for marijuana farms.

“We need to get landlords to conduct thorough checks on the people they are letting their properties to so this doesn’t happen, and we need landlords to get documentation of who is leasing their property and then if they are doing something illegal, we can trace them down,” Sajawal added.

According to the report, Bradford East had the highest number of weed farms in 2022, or 83, with Bradford South being the next one with 57. Bradford East seems to be the favorite area for these activities, as it had the most cannabis farms in previous years as well – 107 in 2020 and 102 in 2021.

Dogs Suffering From Cannabis Poisonings On Rise In Massachusetts

There is a rise in cases of dog cannabis poisonings in Massachusetts since the state went green in 2016. Veterinarians in the Bay State say they have more and more dogs in the office with symptoms of marijuana poisoning, reported CBS Boston.

Man’s best friend, when not trained, would usually grab anything they find on the street, including dropped substances, but according to Dr. Megan Whelan, chief medical officer at Angell Boston, most of these dog poisonings are actually happening at home.

"Most likely it's in the house,” Whelan said. “Typically, there's the marijuana brownies or an edible or something left on an ashtray. Occasionally we do see dogs ingest marijuana from the sidewalk."

She explained that before legalization, these cases were harder to diagnose because dog owners were reluctant to admit personal cannabis use at home.

"Giving up that information is more helpful than to work up a dog with extensive tests who may not need extensive testing," Whelan said.

Some signs that could indicate your dog is suffering marijuana intoxication include  dribbling pee, weak and wobbly legs and a low heartbeat. If you suspect your dog has consumed cannabis you should take them to the vet immediately, as marijuana poisoning could be fatal.

"A lot of people say sleep it off, depends on the amount. A lot of it is mixed with chocolate and other toxins to dogs, which they don't realize. It can be a combination of issues," said Whelan.

What’s That Smell All Around? Oh, It’s Pot

Residents of Galston, in Sydney’s north, experienced “very, very strong” cannabis fumes permeating the air on Saturday. Even though the smell was the result of a controlled marijuana burn, organized by police and firefighters, the smoke wasn’t exactly under control, reported The Sidney Morning Herald.

People from the area joked on Facebook META that their “car smells like it did in the early 90s.”

One Galston local told Nine News that it smelled like the whole area was smoking weed.

Crews in charge of the area were wearing face masks, while others in the community apparently were not informed about the planned burn. Police authorities, on the other hand, said they had informed locals early on Saturday morning and had advised residents to keep their windows closed.

Whose cannabis it was?

It seems that the investigation is still ongoing.

Photo: Benzinga Edit with images from Yaman Mutart and OLESYA BOLTENKOVA on Shutterstock and Dubai International Film Festival on Wikipedia