Now to the first part of a special series on the growing use of synthetic marijuana.
It’s a product often sold as incense, but users say it’s anything but… and medical professionals are callling for it to be banned.
Emma Murphy reports.
PART 2
Attempts by the New South Wales Government to ban the substance two years ago have failed, with suppliers managing to find new ways to circumvent the law.
Now, authorities are looking to take a stronger stance.
WEB POLL – Do you think synthetic cannabis should be legal? Let us know HERE
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no ive seen it break up a family just to get it he took the last of there money and the poor kids suffered and go without.
i have tryied a variety of this horrible poison and can honestly say tht as a long time cannabis user there is no way in the world tht i would eva go back to this stuff the last one i tried didnt even have a name and nearly caused me & a mate serious injury the feeling was horrible i felt like i had takin a bad lsd trip NEVA AGAIN young people need to be made to realise tht this crap is no good for them both physically or mentally it WILL destroy you
Ok, so already in the first part of this series we know how dangerous it is. But tell me this NBN….are you going to report on the wide use of this drug amongst our extremely highly paid Workers? IE mines,road workers etc! All these people smoke this synthetic drug because it is legal AND undetectable!!! How wrong is that?
Causes Cancer! The Synthetic cannabanoid AM2201 was specifically designed and has been proven to reduce cancer growth! What BS!
Anybody who argues the point probably just wants the filth to stay legal. Why else would you defend it? I know I did for a long time & now I wish they would ban it because it has ruined my life. I’ve been so sick from it; chronic chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach aches, nausea, vomiting, headaches. I’ll still buy it though because it’s legal, I can buy as much as I want and I am hopelessly addicted. Anyone who says it isn’t addictive is a liar. And to think I stupidly thought it would be the safe alternative, being legal and all. Biggest mistake of my life.
Good one Australian Government. I guess being a drug dealer is all good as long as you guys get a cut out of it huh? Bloody hypocrites.
I’m in my fifties and have smoked ,on and of since i was 16. i’d rather smoke than drink. i’ve seen damage from both.. i even have a son who had phycosis from the hybred stuff and who is now on permement medication for schizophrenia. I blame the authorities for this as we would’nt have the hybreds if we had of decriminalised it. It damages the front lob development in 18 to 20 year old.. so we found out.
The first time i smoked synthetic pot, i had too much, two bongs. and i immediately realised i was closer to triping than being stoned. so i talked myself through it as i would a trip and survived. the next time i cut the dose to one and now i settle on a half to three quaters. its short and intense and ends quite abruptly. i cant say i enjoyed it but it did scrach an itch. AND its a cheap alternative.
i told my kids to stay away untill they (the authorities) work out whats going on. All i want is a qiute little joint. without the hoohar of being a criminal. but hey the legal profestion makes money from proabition, so we have to watch our police waste public money chasing growers while the organised crimanls grow indoor hybred strains and sell us this synthetic stuff legally. Its a sad reflection on our do gooder politicians. whom i might sugest, drink themselve to sleep every night.
I like it and have contacts in the industry and can find out any info I need to. I can provide people with honest factual information rather than heresay and mob mentality bs if they are interested.
There are crap incense blends and there are some really good organic 100% solvent free ones (they use solvents to mask the active research chemical powder look but that dont bother me).
The main problem is that like the real drugs trade, if you ban this you end up creating another black market where the situation is even worst , in that the current regulations that current are working, will no longer be relevent. Anyone who doesn’t smoke or hasn’t got a stake in the future of synthetics, should shut the hell up and mind their own business. It’s their fault jwh-018 which is heaps safer than any of the newer ones like 5fur-144 have been banned and have been replaced with substandard, misunderstand, sickness causing ones.
If anything is to be banned it should be tobacco. I tried smoking as a teen and quickly got addicted. My health deteriorated quickly and so did my wallet. Tobacco has ruined my life and those around me. I managed to beat the addiction after many attempts but the damage has been done. I’m now in my 50’s and have a chronic lung disease. Please do what you can to get support to ban tobacco.
I think the synthetic blend you’re smoking is warping your brain mate if you actually believe the current regulations are working when they quite obviously aren’t. And if they didn’t make it legal in the 1st place they wouldn’t have had to worry about creating another black market situation. As far as I’m concerned anybody who profits from the addiction of the vulnerable are no different from the mongrel drug dealers on the streets who get locked up for doing the same thing these gronks do.
this stuff is deadly and only people who smoke it or sell it will defend it, when your life is turned upside down by all drug use you start to hate anything about it as is the case with my family, being put through four years of hell with someone who smoked it and pot is enough to tell me it should be banned and the people who sell it are nothing more than dealers, legal or not it is causing harm.
From a lot of the comments above, you can clearly see/read who’s affected & who isn’t. I certainly don’t smoke it, nor do I have a “stake in the future” of it. However, I have an 18 year old son who sounds just like this person who stated the above quotes, and he also would tell me to “shut the hell up & mind my own business”. Unfortunately he uses this crap regularly. With him being 18, what the hell can I do to stop him? He has changed within a year from a healthy, clean, fun, witty, caring person to someone I don’t care much to share even a conversation with. All I want is my son back. How dare some dim-witted, drug-addled imbecile tell me to mind my own business.
To Deanokski….you are wrong. Synthetic cannabinoid AM2201 was designed for medical use to reduce pain in cancer patients. It does not “reduce” cancer growth.
Well done NBN on giving this rubbish more publicity, when are people going to realize the more bad raps it gets the more appealing it looks to the younger generation. Sellers would be rubbing their hands together with the fact that sales will now go up due to prime time publicity.
I can’t believe that they have let it get this far. It nearly destroyed my otherwise great relationship with my partner he was having it to try relax but it mad him like a paraledic drunk when he didn’t have it he would do anything to get it he had never lied to me about anything but he did lie every time he was trying to cover up how he got and could afford the herbal thank god e finally listened to me and stopped as I was 1 foot out the door and had it of all it had done to him In the 11yrs we had been together this was the 1 time I was ready to throw it all away cause I could not handle it anymore 🙁
Last night I wrote about other side of the coin to this strange legal drug trade, but it would seem that NBN news have only one side in which they want to report. One sided reporting, that reminds me of a North Korean news station. keep up the good work.
What was this program about – long term drug users ripping their family off, smoking causes cancer, hearsay etc etc
I have observed the affects of the 2011 ban – huge increase in alternative products flooding the market !
No I do not use. I like factual evidence!
I am saddened to see the evident effects that this drug has had on individuals who elect to use this form of drug.
Well done to NBN for reporting on this modern day trend, it will ensure individuals are more informed on the substances that live on our streets. Society is so judgemental and loves to point fingers at people who should be responsible, the media is only uncovering a situation to bring it to the attention of it’s community members. Wether this attention is good or bad, I feel as thought is good as it has enable others to talk about the situation in an open environment. Talking is a good start to initiate change.
I suggest those with concerns read through this:
http://drug.addictionblog.org/spice-synthetic-marijuana-side-effects/
Decriminalisation of natural cannabis is necessary and WAY overdue,
if it we’re legal in the first place these poisonous lab produced chemicals wouldn’t even exist.
No all synthetic cannabis, ectasy, herion etc should be made illegal, not just some of the ingredients. My son and his mates are addicted to synthetic cannabis and it is destroying their lives and ours! What is the Government waiting for??? Someone to DIE or be DISABLED FOR LIFE!!
I was a cannabis user for a number of years,but gave up around 9 years ago for health reasons.However,part of me has always retained a fondness for the effects in relation to a heightened connection to,and appreciation of nature,and the arts,particularly music;My first contact with the synthetics came through a young lady at our rehab,who claimed they were stronger,and more addictive.Curiosity got the better of me,and I was pleasantly surprised at the effects of a very small amount of Northern Lights.Then,the brands and formulations changed.Black Widow was like poison to me.It had me nauseated,spinning,and 1 step shy of visual hallucinations.It nearly ate me alive.In Fe.2012,the TGA made rulings about the synthetics,including anything which produced a similar effect,that should have been enacted in federal legislation May 2012.WTF have the pollies been doing?This is a huge health issue,and should have been a top priority.If they can’t take these important public health mandates and legislate for them,they should not in Canberra.! year on.This makes me angry.
well, there are 2 sides to the story. if you legalise it at least you can control what goes in it and who sells it. if you keep banning it there will always be a way people get drugs and because they are illegal they got no idea whats in them. Go New Zealand I say. take an example on what they do over there. I dont smoke any of it and never took any drugs. but I think its getting a bit pathetic, how many people does alcohol and cigaretts kill over the years??? the only way to get control is to legalise it and make rules what can go in those social tonics and what cant. the manufactures have to prove that what they make doesnt cause any health risks but obviously if you got other health conditions you may want to stay away from any drug whatsoever.
The synthetic smoke gave me chronic gastritis. After numerous tests to see what could be causing the gastritis and daily vomiting came back clear, it was apparent what was causing it. Stopped immediately, had some withdrawal issues (vomiting) for a few days and then all symptoms dissipated! Never felt healthier and better since I stopped smoking that poison. Its true, anyone who defends it is in denial, like I was!!
I’m really surprised that this stuff is still legal. I mean, how much research do you need to put into something before you know it is bad for people. Kids are dying from using it. Wake up people. I smoked it for years. Lost almost everything. My health, my wife, my kids. Thank god I was able to quit.
Please BAN this garbage!!
It is a matter of choice on how we restrict ourselves and the family that we love. I think it’s high time to quit before something bad happens. – Carmack Moving and Storage
Iam in my late 50s, have used a vaiety of recreational drugs in my time and have not regretted doing so, then came along synthetic pot although the only relationship to pot is that its green and you smoke it!! It more resembles HEROIN in its effect< it is EXTREMELY addictive and you will more resemble a junky than a "cool pot smoker". Take this warning….. don't touch it!