Ticino and the hemp boom: seven unforgettable years

Between 1996 and 2003, marijuana cultivation and sales thrived in Ticino, propelled by the ingenious loophole of "scented bags". This seven-year chapter ended with a high-profile police crackdown, exposing a tangled web of state inaction and opportunistic entrepreneurs. The story’s climax nearly turned into a farce. Following months of police raids that resulted in massive hemp seizures stored in a military depot, an unforeseen theft occurred. On the night of October 26, 2003, eight individuals armed with blowtorches and chainsaws infiltrated the Polveriera depot in the Arbedo municipality in canton Ticino. After a gruelling effort to bypass locks and security doors, they made off with a monumental stash of confiscated hemp – enough to fill three vans. Their triumph was short-lived. Police swiftly traced the rented vans, uncovering the loot hidden in an underground tunnel in the Verzasca Valley. This botched heist marked a fittingly chaotic finale to Ticino's tumultuous hemp saga ...