Police have raided and destroyed all of the greenhouses belonging to renowned green fairy “Gandalf” leaving hundreds without black market medicinal cannabis.
The 66-year-old weed wizard from Northland is devastated and concerned for those he helps.
He is one of the well-known “green fairies” in the country, which is a term used to describe someone who supplies medicinal cannabis on the black market.
It is understood that law enforcement knew of “Gandalf’s” activities but he had assumed they had turned a blind eye due him to helping people.
For the first time “Gandalf” whose real name is Paul Smith is speaking out publicly on the record.
Smith has been charged with cultivating and supplying cannabis after police raided his home on Tuesday.
Mr Smith says he has done nothing wrong and in fact he’s actually helping people survive.
“Those people rely on my medicine for a good quality of life. In many cases, they rely on this to save their lives – especially the cancer patients. I’ve got two boxes filled with thank you cards from grateful patients,” Smith said.
“What the police have done is so f… morally wrong,” he added, through tears.
He said he had considered entering the legal market but didn’t have the $300,000 to obtain the required licenses.
As a result of the pricey pathway to enter the legal market, many “green fairies” popped up across New Zealand to provide much cheaper medicinal cannabis.
He said he did not sell any cannabis for recreational use, and was only interested in helping people who couldn’t afford the costs of “cannabis clinics” and pharmaceutical companies.
Smith also said he had been planning to retire soon and had been working on a plan to help his patients find other sources.
The police have not yet commented on the matter.
Photo Credit: NZ Herald
