PSYCHOLOGIST WARNS ABOUT BRAIN DAMAGE FROM NEW HASCH DRUG

Malmo (TT) The new, extra potent hasch drug 'Skunk Weed' is feared to
produce the same type of permanent brain damage as solvents.

The Warning was delivered Tuesday at a narcotics conference in Malmo.

It was Thomas Lundquist, psychologist at a Drug Information Center in Lund,
who told about the worriesome conclusions drawn from careful studies of
'Skunk Weed', as reported in the media of southern Sweden.

'Skunk Weed' is an improved cultivar of cannabis. Earlier it was believed
that it contained unusual large amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, the
substance that produces intoxication from smoking hasch.

But it is not, it has been discovered in Lund, in cooperation with experts
in biochemistry and organic chemistry. Instead it is terpenes, organic
hydrocarbons, which are solvents, that is released when 'Skunk Weed' is
heated.

The abusers get the same problem from 'Skunk Weed' as they get from
inhaling solvents. They lose their memory, have problem to concentrate and
get confused. They also have problem moving and end up with a psychosis.

At the Drug Information Center they have not before had any expanations to
the symptoms that abusers have related.

Thomas Lundquist now contends that bureaucrats has to provide resources for
information about the 'Skunk Weed'. He thought research in the matter also
is needed.

The Narcotics Police in Sweden have thus far only made a few confiscations
of 'Skunk Weed', but according to Lundquist the drug is very common. It is
also known as 'Haze', 'Shiva-Chanti', 'Big Bud' and 'NetherWeed'.