Concerns over 'chemical cannabis'

[kiwi_farmer]

By KIM THOMAS

Saturday, 10 January 2009

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4814158a11.html

© Fairfax New Zealand Limited 2007

 

NEW SPICE: An over the counter "chemical cannabis", banned in several countries, is on sale in New Zealand under the brand names Spice and Dream.

 

A widely available "chemical cannabis" is being monitored by the Government after being banned in other countries.

 

The chemical compound JWH-018, sold as Spice or Dream, was recently banned in Austria and was this week outlawed in Germany after tests showed it affected the brain like THC, the natural psychoactive substance contained in cannabis, but was four times stronger.

 

Drug agencies in New Zealand are calling for it to be classified as a restricted substance, giving health authorities some control over its sale and promotion.

 

They say the Government now has the legislation to protect consumers from unspecified and untested chemical substances and should employ it faster.

 

Drug Foundation director Ross Bell said JWH-018 should be listed as a restricted substance.

 

New Misuse of Drugs Act regulations meant the Health Minister could place a substance on a restricted list, allowing authorities some control.

 

Controls included restrictions on things such as its sale at licensed premises, petrol stations and places where children could gather, as well as restricting sales to those aged over 18.

 

The product must also be clearly labelled as a restricted substance and include contact details for the National Poisons Centre, Bell said.

 

The ingredients listed on JWH-018 product packaging made it appear "all natural or made of things like pixie dust and fairy tears", he said.

 

However, its ingredients were unknown, posing a risk to those who took it.

 

"What is of concern to us is that the industry is behaving in a similar way now as they did with party pills.

 

"They are selling the product with a list of whatever ingredients they want and there are no controls in place or no health and safety information to protect people buying it."

 

Ministry of Health spokeswoman Luz Baguioro said it was monitoring JWH-018 products as well as hospital admission data to identify adverse effects.

 

The ministry commissioned studies on the self-reported adverse effects of non-regulated substances, including JWH-018, which will be finished this year.

 

Baguioro said the ministry had not seen the international forensic research confirming JWH-018 was the substance responsible for the cannabis-like psychoactive effects.

 

Internet reports from users of JWH-018 praise its effectiveness, with one saying "everyone who tries it reports near the exact same thing - a very cannabis-like high, more stoney, less psychedelic, munchies, dry mouth, red eye, strong about one to two hours then tapering off over six hours".

 

A Christchurch woman who tried JWH-018 said it made her slightly nauseous because of its strong scent and taste.

 

It provided a "buzz" which lasted about an hour and a tingling in the arms and legs.

 

Campaign Against Drugs on Roads (Candor) spokeswoman Rachael Ford said the chemical cannabis was a big risk because the general toxicity levels were not known.

 

Ford said Candor wanted a "suitably rapid response" from the Government to clamp down on sales.

 

She called on the Health Ministry to regulate JWH-018 at the earliest convenience until tests demonstrated it was completely safe.

[elbhar]

where can you get it in oz???

[Radic]

GreetNZ Kiwi Farmer

 

 

JWH-018 is a synthetic compound that trys to mimic Delta9 THC

JWH-018 is a new chemical

the whole planet has never experienced this

in its natural state, THC is ballanced and finetuned by the other cannabinods, cbd, cbn, etc.,

yo there are hundreds of em, and we dont know how or why they interact the way they do

 

IMO

the different ballances of the cannabinods in each strain

is what causes different weed strains

to have different stones

and

different medicinal proterties

 

seen

 

different plant management practices, different enviroments and different geens

give we the varity of herb we all love and respect

tis a beautifull ting

 

IMO

when you take a synth like JWH-018

it does not have the ballanceing effects of the other cannabinods with it

and so is unkown what will happen

both

long term and short term

never been done before

so we dont know how JWH-018 will react in the natural enviroment

 

i would need to see aheap more data and do a lot more research before i would consider JWH-018

 

Irey Guidance

Radic

Hash Oil Rulez

[jabez]

I would have thought the people at OZ stoners would have more to say about this.

 

Seems wierd that it never became very popular in Australia. Does anyone have any info on spice, yucatan fire or any other products from psyche deli, like can you still get it in Australia, all is it all over?

 

You think it would be logical that pysche deli would just change the name, since it took the governments so long to work it out in the first place.

 

I've been reading up on it and have noticed that they can't decide what cannabinoid is in it, some say it's HU-210, others say CP-47, 497 and then there's JWH-018. Most likely different baches have contained a different cannabinoid, or the powers that be are talking shit cause they can't find the active compound.