poledriver
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
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- 11,543
The truth about synthetic cannabis from the mouth of an addict
“I feel bad that I’ve been forced into taking synthetic stuff,” *Mark, 39, said.
“I know I’ve got a choice but I’m addicted. I started taking marijuana when I was 13 then police led a real crackdown and it was impossible to find. I moved to synthetic cannabis 3-4 years ago and it’s a coping mechanism for me.”
His comments follow the deaths of two men in separate incidents in Queensland last week. Both men had smoked a drug known as ‘Spice’ which mirrors the effects of marijuana.
Mark, from Western Australia, smokes daily. He said he would give up if he could but he can’t.
“It’s definitely addictive. Some people say it’s harder to give up than heroin. If I have a break, I feel depressed but those feelings eventually subside.”
Synthetic cannabis is created when chemicals are sprayed onto plant matter like strawberry plant leaves.
It is increasingly popular with the working population who are drug tested because the chemicals used don’t show up on traditional screens. The problem is that every “brand” is different and you never know what you’re going to get.
“Like all drugs, you have to be careful,” Mark said.
“I don’t know if they’re safe but do people know all the ingredients in all the synthetic foods they eat every day?”
Professor Michael Farrell from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW said the drug works on the same receptors in the brain as marijuana but has “subtle but important differences”.
He said side effects include high blood pressure, agitation, convulsions and seizures.
“We need to look at the (Queensland deaths) very carefully to understand exactly how they died but we know that synthetic cannabis will increase brain irritability and reduce the seizure threshold,” Prof. Farrell said.
Cont -
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he...uth-of-an-addict/story-fneuzlbd-1227189770118
“I feel bad that I’ve been forced into taking synthetic stuff,” *Mark, 39, said.
“I know I’ve got a choice but I’m addicted. I started taking marijuana when I was 13 then police led a real crackdown and it was impossible to find. I moved to synthetic cannabis 3-4 years ago and it’s a coping mechanism for me.”
His comments follow the deaths of two men in separate incidents in Queensland last week. Both men had smoked a drug known as ‘Spice’ which mirrors the effects of marijuana.
Mark, from Western Australia, smokes daily. He said he would give up if he could but he can’t.
“It’s definitely addictive. Some people say it’s harder to give up than heroin. If I have a break, I feel depressed but those feelings eventually subside.”
Synthetic cannabis is created when chemicals are sprayed onto plant matter like strawberry plant leaves.
It is increasingly popular with the working population who are drug tested because the chemicals used don’t show up on traditional screens. The problem is that every “brand” is different and you never know what you’re going to get.
“Like all drugs, you have to be careful,” Mark said.
“I don’t know if they’re safe but do people know all the ingredients in all the synthetic foods they eat every day?”
Professor Michael Farrell from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSW said the drug works on the same receptors in the brain as marijuana but has “subtle but important differences”.
He said side effects include high blood pressure, agitation, convulsions and seizures.
“We need to look at the (Queensland deaths) very carefully to understand exactly how they died but we know that synthetic cannabis will increase brain irritability and reduce the seizure threshold,” Prof. Farrell said.
Cont -
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he...uth-of-an-addict/story-fneuzlbd-1227189770118
