Synthetic ‘drug' offers legal high

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http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2011/04/23/synthetic-drug-offering-a-legal-high/

 

 

Synthetic ‘drug' offers legal high

Alex Easton | 23rd April 2011

 

Kronic, which mimics the effect of cannabis, is a mix of herbs and chemicals made in New Zealand and now being sold in Australia.

 

A NEW synthetic “drug†that mimics the effect of cannabis is creeping into the Northern Rivers – and it's perfectly legal.

 

Kronic is a mix of herbs and chemicals made in New Zealand and now being sold in Australia – although you won't find a shop stocking it in NorthernRivers.

 

Happy High Herbs founder Ray Thorpe said he was refusing to stock the product at his Byron Bay or Uki stores after hearing of cases where people's lungs had collapsed after using the substance.

 

A sales assistant at Happy High Herbs at Nimbin, which is owned independently of Mr Thorpe's stores, said they did not stock it either.

 

Mr Thorpe said he had heard of Kronic being stocked at some tobacconists on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, as well as at bong shop Up Yer Tree and some pornography shops.

 

However, it appeared the main source of the drug was the internet.

 

Matt Prendergast, of the Brisbane-based website Billybong, said he had been operating about a year and was currently selling about 300 packets of Kronic every day.

 

About half the Kronic that passed through Mr Prendergast's hands went to Western Australia, with 45% spread relatively evenly over Queensland, NSW and Victoria, with the remaining 5% going to the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Tasmania.

 

Most of the Kronic he sold went torural and regional areas, he said.

 

Mr Prendergast said Kronic gave the same experience as cannabis but contained no THC, the active chemical ingredient in cannabis. The effects also wore off much faster – generally after about two hours.

 

He rejected the suggestion of serious health damage from the legal drug, saying he had never had a complaint.

 

A spokeswoman for Northern NSW Local Health Network said drug and alcohol experts within the service had not encountered the substance and knew nothing of it.

 

Cannabis reform advocate Michael Balderstone regarded it with scepticism.

 

The fact Kronic included an unknown volume of unknown chemicals worried him. He said that, at $30 for a gram, it was selling at three times the price of “organically-grown cannabis†from Nimbin.

 

The name of the product was taken direct from cannabis culture. Mr Balderstone said “kronic†was a slang word used to describe top-quality marijuana.

 

“It's clever marketing,†he said. “They'll probably sell heaps and it's probably very bad for you.â€

 

Mr Balderstone described conventional cannabis as an “easy bust†for police, saying that was one thing driving drug users to other substances and drugs.

 

“That's why you get people turning to pills and powder, because you take it and it's gone,†he said.

 

“Pot stinks, and if you smoke it, it stinks even more.

 

“They say it (Kronic) works.

 

“Someone even gave me a packet of it, but I just gave it away.â€

 

 

HHS

[Stix87]

had a mate try some of this kronic and he said it done the job but i wont be touching it when iv got plent of budz.

[CactusGumnut]

Is this the same as those packet incense things??

Funny how the wanna-be legal highs are more dangerous than the real deal

[datcaptcha]

Beware being SCAMMED like I was by the Matt Prendergast, of the Brisbane-based website Billybong.com.au and www.kronic-legal-weed.com.au mentioned in the article. I ordered an ounce of the ´Ãussie Gold´ variety and was sent an underweight bag of completely worthless and psycoactively devoid herbs. All emails ignored by them. I managed to get a phone number for Matt Prendergast from a re-saler that also got scammed. I said I wanted a refund or working replacement but was laughed at and told that his lawyers have him covered. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS GUY. I am gathering evidence against this guy on my blog for a class action law suit against him. http://mattprendergast.blog.com/

[DAMCRO]

Beware being SCAMMED like I was by the Matt Prendergast, of the Brisbane-based website Billybong.com.au and www.kronic-legal-weed.com.au mentioned in the article. I ordered an ounce of the ´Ãussie Gold´ variety and was sent an underweight bag of completely worthless and psycoactively devoid herbs. All emails ignored by them. I managed to get a phone number for Matt Prendergast from a re-saler that also got scammed. I said I wanted a refund or working replacement but was laughed at and told that his lawyers have him covered. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS GUY. I am gathering evidence against this guy on my blog for a class action law suit against him. http://mattprendergast.blog.com/

 

Keep us informed please - this MOFO took $600 off me!

[Tsigle]

Bud is safer. Why isn't it legal? Oh yeah that's right!

[Hashy]

The way I see it, this is the smack in the face to people who decided to try and do the right thing and find a legal alternative. Sure it might be "worse" for you then real cannabis, but the fact is there was no spate of problems and issues surrounding it with this recent media coverage. It just began with reports of "high" numbers of miners using the synthetic drug. Ill point out that calling it synthetic cannabis shouldn't be accurate, its more of a substitute.

 

Some people out there tried to do "the right thing" and not break the law, and they will be punished for it.. Its not fair.

 

Half the reason for the ban, besides the fear mongering from psychologists who said nothing more then "potentially", is that cannabis is its own market. It has no competition, until Kronic came into the limelight some weeks ago. They're banning it because it is a threat to their control over the illegal cannabis market. Its a monopoly, and one which they are intent to uphold, and they have won that control.

 

Wait till they start trying to ban native Australian plants from being in your garden, because they "might" be used as a "drug". Theres hundreds of plants they are considering.. Prohibition is out of control. We need to do more to fix this, so that the millions of cannabis users in this country can stop being vilified for their preference of drug.

[Up.the.reapers(;]

fuck that shiit haha

[smashed1]

well ive had it a couple times , its very strong high no confusion on it an it acually mad me more active , pot useally doesnt do that ill veg out , but i found after about 5 cones in as row , it seemd to speed up the old ticker , an i sat back after 5 mins the hart settld dowqn ,

 

an it deff didnt last 2 hours , maybe half n hour , tobaconiost still sell\ it here well one does , i ask d him if its legal to sell but he grabs it from a box under the counter , he said yes so i dont no if it is or not ,

 

i want smoke it a;ll day if i cant get on ,

after what it done to me hart , i wouldnt recomend it , it was like a full on panic attack for a couplke mins ,

 

heres a pic of the packet it came in 60 buks 3 grams

[DarkSpark]

I have smoked a fair bit of it and find it great compared to commercial buds. I won't buy the retail marketed shit though when I was legally allowed to make it I was making ounces for $5.50 and an hours work. That's pretty fucking cheap, I was using jwh018 as my rc and found it to be th safest and best effects, however now the new ones are dangerous as fuck and have people dying and ending up in hospital. I admit high doses can be pretty sketchy but u just gotta get used to the fact it takes 5 minutes to kick in and not keep smoking.

 

At the strength I mad it 1 bowl was a mild effect 2 a heavy stone and 3 completely obliterated. The high is energetic rather than making me drowsy and lasts around an hour before fading,the difference is that I don't notice it wearing off and don't really get a come down. There may be long terms negatives but given I was saving 275$ an oz it was worth it to me.

 

Note:vi have never tried kronic or any other mass marketed versions but found my own one was awesome