BAN DOPE-A-LIKE, PRINCIPAL URGES

Community concerns are growing over the use and potential abuse of
potent synthetic cannabis substitutes being sold in New Plymouth.

The Taranaki Daily News spoke to educators, employers, and police
about their worries, yesterday.

The substances have a different structure to traditional cannabinoids,
including THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, but stimulate the
same receptors in the brain.

They are cannabimimetics, drugs that mimic the effect of
cannabinoids.

The synthetic dope does not show up as positive in a drug
test.

New Plymouth Boys' High School principal Michael McMenamin said he had
heard about the products a month ago and had strong concerns about
their availability.

"The kids are telling me it's more powerful than marijuana," Mr
McMenamin said.

"For boys in particular we know that between the ages of 15 and 20 the
developmental stuff is happening in the brain. This chemical, reacting
in the brain is doing damage to brain cells."

Mr McMenamin said urgent action needed to be taken to ban the
products.

"It is appalling that this sort of product is allowed and we need to
get key people to react quickly," he said.

Senior Sergeant Allan Whaley said the legal "dope" was not covered in
drugged driving legislation introduced in 2009.

The laws only related to a controlled drug (a drug that is classified
under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975) or a prescription medicine, Mr
Whaley said.

Instead police would need to rely on their observations and
information they received to determine a driver's physical and mental
state.

Mr Whaley said if a driver was considered to be too impaired to be
behind the wheel they would be forbidden to drive for up to 12 hours
and police would confiscate their keys, but they would not be charged.

"If they choose to ignore the fact that they have been forbidden to
drive and drive within that period they will be arrested," he said.

Jim Ramsay, managing director of New Plymouth's Transport Investments,
said the substances posed problems for all employers.

"It is something that may lead us to do some thinking about this area
of testing," Mr Ramsay said.

Staff at the company were drug tested before starting and faced
ongoing random testing.

Mr Ramsay said the fact the cannabinoids did not show up in drug tests
was tricky.

"The fact is, it is ludicrous that one substance is banned and another
substance that has exactly the same effects is legal," he said.

Wicked high on sale next to packets of chips

After reading yesterday's front page story in the Taranaki Daily News
I felt tempted to try this synthetic cannabis.

I was sceptical about what effects it would have.

Cannabis is a mind-altering, class C illegal drug in New Zealand. This
stuff is being sold in corner dairies next to chocolate and packets of
chips.

"Seriously how much of a high can this possibly give you and what's
all the fuss about," I wondered as I prepared to go out and buy it.

I made my selection based on the product's packaging and chose Aroma
as it claimed to have "wicked strength." It cost me $25.

A mate joined me for the experience and we rolled up a joint of the
strange-smelling substance.

Conversation flowed as we passed it around.

It wasn't until we neared the end and my mate refused another puff,
exclaiming "nah, I'm actually feeling pretty wasted" that it hit me. I
was stoned. My head felt light and I was experiencing all of the same
sensations usually associated with smoking illegal narcotics.

Who would have guessed this green herb purchased in a dairy, with no
gang members in sight had produced roughly the same effects as real
cannabis.

"I don't think I'd like to drive right now," my colleague said and all
I could do was nod in agreement as my mind wandered off in another
direction.

Having these products on dairy shelves readily available for
consumption makes an absolute mockery of New Zealand's drug laws, in
particular the continued prohibition of cannabis.

You would not want your young children freely able to buy and smoke
this mind-altering drug and would have to question what effects it is
having on the developing minds of adolescents.