THE DRUGS Squad have initiated a rather unusual investigation into the books display in the newly-opened Tower Records store on Dublin's Wicklow Street.

In particular, they have enlisted in their enquiries the help of three books: Marijuana Growing Tips by Ed Rosenthal, Marijuana Growers Guide by Ed Rosenthal and Mel Frank, and Marijuana - The Cultivator's Handbook by Bill Drake. Last Friday morning (August 6th) a number of plain clothes officers arrived at the store and demanded that manager, Elaine Downie, hand over a copy of each of these publications so that they could be "examined" by the Drugs Squad. They said that they were taking this action on foot of a complaint by a member of the public.

horticultural

While on the premises, the officers drew Ms. Downie's attention to the Misuse of Drugs Act (1984) which prohibits the printing, publishing or distribution of any book or periodical which "advocated or encourages, or might reasonably be supposed to advocate or encourage, whether expressly or by implication, the use of any controlled drug, prescribed for the purpose of this section, or any product or preparation containing any such drug, other than in the course of professional treatment by a practitioner."

To avoid subsequent potential prosecution, Tower Records have taken all copies of these books off their shelves, pending the Drugs Squad decision on whether or not they contravene the Act.

Elaine Downie, meanwhile, is bemused by the entire situation. "These books are openly on sale in our London branches and are very popular," she insists. "And our book buyers in London actually tried to work alongside the police on this. They phoned up the Irish customs about these books and were told that there'd be no problem as long as it wasn't the drugs themselves that we were bringing in.

"After all, these books don't tell you how to smoke marijuana. They just tell you how to grow it. They're horticultural books," she adds.

• Liam Fay