Synthetic marijuana under scrutiny
16 June 2011
A leading addiction expert has raised health warnings about so-called synthetic marijuana, now being marketed as Kronic, Purple Haze, Voodoo and Kaos.
The substance is claimed to provide a "comparable high to their illegal counterparts", according to one of the many websites selling the product, and is spruiked as a "workaround" for people in jobs where no THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) is allowed.
However, Professor Jon Currie, who directs the Department of Addiction Medicine at Melbourne's St Vincent's Hospital, says he is now seeing one or 2 cases each week in emergency from people seeking help because of the synthetic drug. He said while it was not typically the primary cause of their injuries or illness, it was sometimes a contributor in car accidents and a danger to health when mixed with other drugs.
The synthetic marijuana is usually made from a variety of legal herbs that have been sprayed with a synthetic chemical that mimics tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and has similar effects. "Basically you just change a few molecules and it becomes no longer illegal," Professor Currie said. "It is a multimillion dollar industry."
Director of policy at the Australian Drug Foundation Geoff Munro said he had been contacted by people worried about the effects of the drug. "One person in particular had a very severe physical reaction to Kronic," he said. "This person told us that it was about 50 times stronger than normal cannabis and it invoked a panic attack. We think it should be withdrawn from sale unless it is proven to be safe."
Authorities are starting to target the synthetic drug. From 17 June, those who sell or supply synthetic cannabis in Western Australia will face 25 years in jail or fines of up to $100,000. Tasmania is also moving to ban the product, while Victoria says it is investigating how to define the problem so it can legislate. The Queensland Government is also set to ban synthetically created cannabinoids via legislation amendments that would make illegal any substances that are intended to have a substantially similar pharmacological effect to known drugs.
Last Reviewed: 17 June 2011
