I cant post this in the appropriate thread yet so here will do.

There was mention of UK suppliers being out of stock and some members were looking for sourcing from other countries, not so long ago somone was raided for importing mescaline, when it was actually cactus powder, the customs bloke pushing it and the police must have known this but still wanted their prosecution, i dont know what the final outcome was but i would have imagined he must have got away free considering no laws were broken, but its a hassle people could indeed do without. Plus a look at your computer and perhaps stumbling across other substances could land you in trouble.

Quite dirty really, it should have been seized by customs if they suspected anything illegal but instead they let it through so they can then prosecute.

So if you are going to import anything, make sure its cactus chunks/chips. Sourcing from a European supplier would also help.

Chances are you'll be fine even with powder, but just so people are prepared.

Any further info or links to information on this? I was of the understanding that due to the 2007 case Regina v. Saul Sette that the law was quite set on this issue.

https://www.erowid.org/plants/cacti/cacti_law2.shtml

I cant remember the source, but the issue was not whether it was a preparation or not, the police/customs were claiming the cactus powder to be mescaline. There was a BBC report, and the person hosting the website was attempting to name and shame the rouge customs bloke as he put it, and mentioned the bbc's refusal to even accept the possibility the claims were false. For some reason 2010 sticks in my mind.

In the end it doesn't matter what the law says if customs/police want to give you a hard time, so its best to get your supplies from a source from within the country so to not take the risk.

A good example was the met police trying to give a life sentence to an antique firearms dealer who hadn't broken a single law.


Update:

I cant seem to find the site, google just turns up my post here.

A very similar issue to that which befell MHRB recently in the UK and led to a cessation of trade in powdered root bark. In that case MHRB powder was also taken as being a “preparation” and therefore is currently being subjected to the same controls as DMT itself (this hasn’t, as far as I know, been tested in the courts). MHRB in the UK is not a controlled substance, but now only whole or shredded bark is traded as powder gets confiscated.

You are right, legal or not, the potential issues with customs and police are enough to make a bit of a mess of your life – whether or not an actual prosecution happens.

Edit
I have found two references to cases in the UK on the BBC, but no further information on the result of the court cases:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/8536615.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8611102.stm

[quote=d*l*bYou are right, legal or not, the potential issues with customs and police are enough to make a bit of a mess of your life – whether or not an actual prosecution happens.[/quote]

-Very true point. The police , customs have the right to search your premises if they have reason whatsoever. You don't wanna have them looking into you, and your activities. Not worth the risk.