UPDATED: Monday, Nov. 30 at 2.20 p.m. AEDT: NSW Police have confirmed they burnt the seized cannabis.

A patch of grass is about to land someone in trouble — a football field-sized amount of trouble.

Australian police have seized more than 8,500 cannabis plants, bordered by a 150 metre-long by 50 metre-wide fence (164 yards by 54.6 yards) on the New South Wales north coast. As theDaily Telegraph pointed out, that's bigger than the Sydney Football Stadium, or larger than a soccer field.

Sydney: More than 12,500 cannabis plants – with an estimated potential street value in excess of $16 million – have been found in the Richmond Local Area Command over the last three weeks.

Police from the State Crime Command's Drug Squad and the Police Air Wing, PolAir, have raided  illegal crop sites across the commans as part of the Cannabis Eradication Program (CEP).

Last week alone they raided sites at Cawongla, Wadeville, New Italy, Double Duke, Jackie Bulbin, Mumblegum, Bulldog and Ewingar, with more than 4000 plants – worth more than $8 million on the streets – seized.

Children who were exposed to marijuana in the womb have better vision by the time they are four years old, a new study has revealed.

But, scientists were quick to warn the results do not mean cannabis has a beneficial effect on foetal development. 

The team from the University of Waterloo, Auckland and Brown University, admitted they were surprised at their findings, which show the drug can improve a child's ability to track moving objects in their line of sight.

Professor Ben Thompson, at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, said: 'We were surprised with this initial finding.

WHAT lengths would you go to for pain relief?

One Gracemere man resorted to using cannabis after a workplace injury left him with a fused spine.

Shaun Douglas Hoad was in Rockhampton Magistrates Court yesterday, pleading guilty to several charges including possessing dangerous drugs (cannabis) and utensils.

The court heard Hoad, who had to seek permission to stand during the proceedings due to his injury, was found with the items in his residence on October 16 after police executed a search warrant.

In their search, officers found a water pipe, two scales, two grinders, two loose hypodermic syringes and six grams of cannabis.

Police prosecutor Constable Manon Barwick said the items were found scattered around the house.

A MEDICAL cannabis information session will be held at Nimbin Town Hall in Cullen St on Saturday, 11am-4.20pm.

There will be a talk by Dr Andrew Katelaris (Dr Pot), and medical cannabis users and carers will speak about their experience and how prohibition affects them. 

For more information, phone the Nimbin HEMP Embassy on 6689 1842. 

A FORMER Australian Defence soldier busted with cannabis says he uses the drug to help his diagnosed heart ailment.

Reuben Oakes, 28, from Captain Creek near Agnes Water pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court to possession of the drug, bongs, and a grinder on March 14.

Prosecutor snr const Sam Pyke said three grams was found, with Oakes telling police he smokes cannabis as self medication for a heart condition.

Defence lawyer Cassandra Ditchfield said Oakes had a heart attack aged 21 and was then discharged from the Army.

He instructed her that because of unpleasant side effects from prescribed medication it led him to do his own research because he was not getting much help from his GP.

Five weeks ago, Bill Shorten visited Cherie and Trevor Dell in their Sydney home to talk about how medicinal cannabis is helping their three-year-old daughter Abbey. 

The very next day, the police came knocking.

Abbey suffers from a rare genetic disorder known as CDKL5, which results in constant violent seizures.

They tried every legal medicine and treatment under the sun but found that nothing worked. Eventually, desperate to relieve Abbey's suffering, they turned to the underground suppliers that provide illegal medicinal cannabis oil to families in need across the country.

Before the cannabis treatments, Abbey suffered dozens of seizures every day, with some of them lasting 45 minutes.

Victoria residents are being asked to weigh in on the city’s proposed medical marijuana licensing regulations.

City councillors are waiting to hear from the new federal government about potentially legalizing and regulating the drug, but in the meantime they hope to hear from the public. 

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said she’s curious to see what the public will have to say. 

“I don’t know what the public sentiment on this topic is so that’s precisely why we’re doing public engagement to take the temperature of the community and respond accordingly, and at the same time, hopefully getting some direction from the federal government about what their plans are in the coming years,” she said. 

IF you're expecting medical marijuana to be a panacea you may be disappointed.

But a review of nearly 80 clinical trials found there was some evidence cannabinoids, one of the active constituents of cannabis, can help patients deal with nausea and vomiting.

The drug can also help in the reduction of pain.

Some patients reported increased adverse affects including dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, fatigue, somnolence, euphoria, vomiting, disorientation, drowsiness, confusion, loss of balance, and hallucination.

Five weeks ago, Bill Shorten visited Cherie and Trevor Dell in their Sydney home to talk about how medicinal cannabis is helping their three-year-old daughter Abbey. 

The very next day, the police came knocking.

Abbey suffers from a rare genetic disorder known as CDKL5, which results in constant violent seizures.

They tried every legal medicine and treatment under the sun but found that nothing worked. Eventually, desperate to relieve Abbey's suffering, they turned to the underground suppliers that provide illegal medicinal cannabis oil to families in need across the country.