NEW ORLEANS -- As the Louisiana Legislature considers relaxing jail time for marijuana possession, and other states legalize it entirely, a new form of the drug has recently surfaced on the streets of New Orleans.
Twice in the past six months, New Orleans police have encountered what is known on the street as "wax," a marijuana derivative so potent that some experts have warned about negative effects ranging from hallucinations to drug-induced psychosis.
The most recent case in New Orleans came on May 11 after a traffic stop in the French Quarter led to a seizure of marijuana, a bong and a strange resin-like substance wrapped in brown paper. One NOPD officer quickly recognized the sticky material as a new marijuana derivative known on the street as "wax."
"It's a very concentrated form of marijuana and, cooked down, it looks very similar to candle wax," said Lt. Anthony Caprera of the Eighth Police District. "It has the strong smell of marijuana, and when we tested it, it came up positive right away."
The suspect, 20-year-old Frank Denny of Metairie, was booked with a municipal charge of possession of marijuana.
What is most concerning to Caprera and other officers is the extreme potency of the drug.
"The THC content in this wax is super high, maybe 80 percent higher than regular high-grade marijuana," he said. "They say one hit is the equivalent of 20 marijuana joints."
Caprera briefed other NOPD commanders about wax at the last citywide crime strategy meeting, COMSTAT. He also said memos were sent to the Louisiana State Police, especially in light of the 60 troopers patrolling the French Quarter to help out the NOPD.
The other recent arrest came in December. In that case, Dominic Angelica, 20, was arrested as he tried to retrieve an envelope sent in the mail that contained packaged marijuana, along with marijuana wax.
While wax has become popular on the West Coast, the introduction in the New Orleans area appears to be new. But word is spreading.
At Covenant House, which provides counseling and housing for homeless teenagers, there's already a buzz about the new drug and its powerful high.
"The easiest comparison is that what crack is to cocaine, this wax is to marijuana. And that's scary," said Covenant House Executive Director Jim Kelly.
Kelly said the recent detection in New Orleans is troubling for a variety of reasons.
"Whatever high you got from marijuana, it's 20 times higher," Kelly said. "But it doesn't work that way as far as how it affects a person. I think you're going to see a lot more anxiety."
Kelly said Covenant House counselors are prepared to get ahead of any problems by being pro-active with youngsters who come to them with substance abuse issues.
"We've got to have a real conversation with our young people," he said. "Half of our young people come to us with substance abuse problems, so we don't want this to be another thing that adds to those problems."
An 18-year-old Covenant House resident, Kyle, said word on the street is spreading about wax, but not necessarily in a positive light. He said there is some wariness among regular weed smokers about the intensity of the distilled version.
"They say it's a lot more intense. It's a lot more trippy, if that makes sense. It's not as chill," Kyle said. "But the way things spread here, there's no doubt in my mind that someday it will probably be the predominant drug here."
