LEGAL HIGH SPICE TO BE BANNED

A legal "high" known as Spice that is stronger than cannabis is to
be banned after advice from the Government's drug advisers.

The herbal mix mimics the effect of cannabis and pouches are widely
sold on the internet and in so-called "head shops" for around UKP20.

But the Home Office is now set to act after the Advisory Council on
the Misuse of Drugs said it should be banned.

A formal decision will be made by the end of the month but Alan
Johnson, the Home Secretary, is expected to make the substance Class
B alongside cannabis.

He will also announce the control of the legal party drug, GBL, that
killed a medical student.

There has been mounting pressure on the Home Office since Hester
Stewart, 21, died after taking GBL in Brighton earlier this year and
the Home Office will look to grade GBL as a Class C drug if
developed for human use but will allow the chemical to still be
used in industry, under tight controls.

Spice is sold under brands such as Spice Silver, Spice Gold, Spice
Diamond and Spice Yucatan Fire - prices are similar to cannabis.

Professor David Nutt, chairman of the ACMD, said: "Spice and other
synthetic cannabinoid products are being sold legally as harmless
'herbal legal highs'.

"However, the herbal content is coated in one or more dangerous
chemical compounds that mimic the effects of cannabis.

"These are not harmless herbal alternatives and have been found to
cause paranoia and panic attacks."

A Home Office spokesman said: "We are determined to crack down on
those so-called 'legal highs' that pose a significant health risk. "