Canadian Cannabis Web Sites Seized
The RCMP in Canada has apparently closed down one of the world's largest cannabis growers websites and at least one Canadian cannabis seed compay. Most troubling is that authorities seized the servers for these sites which reportedly held large databases of cannabis growers and enthusiasts. No confirmed information yet about arrests. If you are able to log onto these sites now it's likely they are being run as entrapment operations by law enforcement. --AH
Cannabisworld.com and Overgrow.com Seized By Police
by Marc Emery (03 Feb, 2006)
Overgrow.com, Cannabisworld.com, Heaven's Stairway Seed Company, and Eurohemp.com Shut Down and Servers Seized by Canadian Police
When the world's largest websites for cannabis growers and enthusiasts disappeared from the web on Monday, January 30, it was thought to be a server problem. As the week dragged on, tens of thousands of members, seed company sponsors, growers and fans worried there might be more than mere 'server' problems as Richard Calrisian (a pseudonym) had not made any statements in any web based media about any 'technical' problems.
Now it appears Heaven's Stairway Seeds (hempqc.com), Cannabisworld.com,
Overgrow.com, Eurohemp.com have been shut down and the owners arrested in
Canada; all their web properties seized, including the physical servers that
held massive databases on thousands of growers, and tens of thousands of
photographs of cannabis plants. Seed companies by the dozens used both
Overgrow.com and Cannabisworld.com as a main trading ground. Over 40 seed
companies had customer service interactive forums on these sites.
All the information held on those servers is now in the hands of police. It
is not known what charges have been laid nor against whom. That police have
not boasted about this seizure means the investigation is continuing, before
any affected parties can react.
Cannabis Culture began receiving emails on Wednesday saying Richard
Calrisian and his wife had been arrested along with four employees, but this
could not be corroborated.
Overgrow.com unavailable
On the website www.icmag.com, seed merchant Gypsy Nirvana, operating from
England where cannabis seeds are legal, posted this news late Friday:
"It is with great sadness that I bring you the news that RC and HS, OG and
CW have been taken down by the authorities in Canada.....
...I have it from a bonofide source that it happened on monday and RC's
computers/servers have most probably been siezed, they spent 2 days going
thru his house and removed alot of stuff ...
His wife and some members of his family were also taken into custody and
it's possible that she may be released tommorrow on bail... There has not
been a peep in the media about this so there could be a reason why it was
not advertised by LEO......BE WARNED! not to try and log on to Overgrow or
Cannaworld for now since most certainly the security of that site has been
compromised and if it comes back up without me first hearing from RC then it
is NOT being run by him.....think about it!
...This could bring up some real security issues with many
Overgrow/Cannabisworld members.........be warned guys and do what you need
to do to make it safer for all of you.......duck and cover if needs be....
....Yours Faithfully...
Gypsy Nirvana"
As soon as we find out more information about what's happened, we will
provide updates here or in the Cannabis Culture forums. Overgrow.com website
members are welcome to converge here to find out more and reconnect.
Marc Emery and Jodie Giesz-Ramsay, Friday February 3rd 2006, 6:10pm
