CALL FOR SYNTHETIC-CANNABIS CONTROLS

Drug control groups are calling for a tightening of laws relating to
synthetic cannabis products, which can be bought over the counter but
have not been tested for safety.

Trading under exotic names such as Puff and Thai High, the range of
products are available from shops such as Auckland's Hemp Store and
Cosmic Corner, and also on the internet.

They have similar effects to the active ingredient in cannabis,
tetrahydrocannabinol.

Many of the R18 chemicals are marketed as herbal incense, but the fine
print on the packaging states the products are able to be smoked.

Those branded as Kronic, Dream, Space and Aroma, despite being
marketed as incense, are described as best smoked in a joint or pipe.

A shop assistant told the Herald the term incense was used as "a
cover", before advising which of the products - designed "to mimic the
effects of marijuana" - would give the best "high".

One of the most popular synthetic cannabis products - "Spice" - warns
buyers it is not intended for human consumption but at the same time
boasts it will not show up in drug tests and is "nicotine free".

Spice costs the same as cannabis - $20 a gram or $50 for three
grams.

Synthetic cannabis products have already been outlawed in seven
countries - including Britain, Germany and France - and are rapidly
falling from favour in others.

Ireland, Russia and Romania this year moved to make Spice and similar
synthetic cannabinoid products illegal, though Spice remains legal in
many parts of the United States.

The NZ Health Ministry will decide next month whether to formally
review the status of the substances.

Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell said such products were
finding their way on to the market with "no controls whatsoever", and
the law needed to change to ensure the seller could prove their safety
before sale.

"These products are allowed on the market because of weak rules, no
health warnings, no controls. The laws have not kept up with the
chemists. We really don't know what's in these."

Jennifer Sibley, a senior forensic scientist for the Drugs Group at
the Institute of Environmental Science and Research, said the drugs
were very hard to analyse and hard to confirm the presence of "unless
we have something to compare it to".

"Legislation doesn't usually happen until someone dies, which is what
happened with Fantasy".

Fantasy is used as a recreational drug often at dance parties but is
also a date-rape drug. After a reported death, it was made illegal in
New Zealand.

Drugs such as synthetic cannabis and BZP-free party pills can be
imported, manufactured and sold without any controls.

Legal but Still Dangerous

Spice - easily available, no comeback and if it is as good as they
say, why would you buy anything illegal?

But the effects are very different from those of real
cannabis.

Firstly, it tastes and smells absolutely disgusting - like burning
rubber - and the smoke is as harsh.

The "high" does not become noticeable for about 30 minutes, making it
impossible for a first-time user to understand how much of a dose is
needed, which is dangerous.

And when it does hit, the strength is overpowering.

Hallucinations are frequent. Colours become more vivid, and sounds
reverberate around your head.

Concentration becomes intense, internal dialogue takes over and yet
thoughts often spiral off on tangents.

There is no euphoria and the effects last and last and last - several
hours from one joint.

The worst part, after the high settles and begins to subside, is the
state of paranoia that can set in. You begin to question so much more,
you worry, you agitate, and you wish you could come down, but you cannot.

Aside from the health implications of an untested chemical, the trip
feels as synthetic as the product. Its strength is dangerous, and its
effects are not what you might expect, or indeed want.

If cannabis is controlled on safety and public health grounds, then
this should be too.

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BAD BUZZ

The British Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs warns that
synthetic cannabinoids may be more harmful than cannabis because of
their potency, dose variability and overdose risk.

Some users have developed psychotic symptoms including:

* Hallucinations. * Delusional beliefs. * Strange and erratic
behaviour. * Some with a history of mental illness become unwell again.

Synthetic cannabinoids in these products include CP47497, JWH-018 and
HU-210. CP47497 is illegal in NZ but JWH-018 does not fall under
existing legislation.