COMMENT:
Synthetic cannabis.
Those two words don't sound very scary.
But it's the name of a drug behind up to 75 deaths around New Zealand since June 2017.
READ MORE: Synthetic drugs: Death toll rises to 75 as toxic epidemic rages on
Sonya Bateson: Synthetic cannabis a truly scary drug
By Sonya Bateson
Regional content leader, Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post·Bay of Plenty Times·
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Synthetic cannabis is a scary drug, writes Sonya Bateson. Photo / File
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I believe part of the problem with synthetic cannabis usage lies in the name we've given it - calling it synthetic makes it seem somehow less dangerous, less scary, less illegal.
And, to many people, cannabis itself is barely something to bat an eyelid at. It's considered by many to be far less harmful than the perfectly legal drug alcohol, hence the big push for decriminalisation.
Combine those two elements with the fact synthetic cannabis was so recently legal and it all begins to sound rather benign.
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The reality is anything but.
Crown research institute ESR has delved into the drug. The institute says synthetic cannabis is made by drying any old smokeable plant matter and spraying it with a chemical compound, a synthetic cannabinoid.
READ MORE: Synthetic drugs: epidemic examined by Crown forensic experts, new trends emerge
These chemicals are designed to produce the same effects in the human brain as cannabis and there are currently about 200 that have been identified, most of which have not been clinically tested.
Each of those 200 chemicals is meant to affect the brain as cannabis would, but they all produce different reactions. One is reported to have an effect 75 times stronger than that of natural cannabis.
Others, while structurally similar to natural cannabis, can give completely different highs or side effects.
The compounds are imported to New Zealand in powder form, dissolved into a liquid and sprayed onto the smokeable dried plant, then sold to the consumer.
Not only are there 200-odd different types of these compounds, spraying them onto plants in this manner means huge variability in how strong the final product could be.
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A person buying this product from a dealer will not know which of the 200-odd chemicals has been used to create the drug they have bought, or how much of it is present on the plant material.
READ MORE: 'Cheap, nasty, dangerous': Calls for more education around synthetic drug perils
It is truly Russian roulette. Any baggie could contain the sweet recipe for the perfect high - or it could cause serious illness or death.
It's no surprise then why we see videos circulating on the internet of people high on synthetics acting in bizarre fashion.
Love Soup's co-founder Elmer Peiffer says education is vital to addressing the issue and supported community-led initiatives, starting in high school, to help spread awareness.
Drug users, especially ones with addiction issues, will always find a way to chase a high.
At the very least, education will help users make wiser choices about their poison.
