Those who ingest cannabis grown using particular chemicals are at risk of “adverse health effects” including serious organ damage.
Drug harm reduction service High Alert told the Herald the use of Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) is on the increase among cannabis growers in New Zealand.
The chemicals can make cannabis buds rock-hard and heavy, with an excess of hairs on them.
Growers use the chemicals to control the growth of their crops; including the timing of maturity, and the weight, width and shape of stems, leaves and roots.
Common PGRs include paclobutrazol, daminozide and cholormequat chloride.
“In the case of cannabis, PGRs are used to fatten up buds to increase both weight and density, and as a result inflate the price to deceive unwitting consumers,” High Alert said.
“More worrying is the effect these chemicals can have on people who consume this type of cannabis” they said.
The chemicals soak into the porous leaves and stems of the plants and are impossible to remove.
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party co-leader Maki Herbert told the Herald she was horrified some growers would add any of the trio of chemicals to their plants.
Cannabis was meant to be as natural a stimulant as possible and not tainted by such “poisoning”.
“I would be astounded if any of my associates were involved in [this] poisoning,” Herbert said.
“If that [the use of PGR] is the case, we have a problem.”
High Alert is New Zealand’s early warning system for dangerous drugs, operated by Drug Information and Alerts Aotearoa New Zealand (DIANZ) which is supported by a range of health professionals and both Government and Non-Government Organisations.
DIANZ is governed by the Police National Drug Intelligence Bureau.
High Alert said there were three main PGRs commonly used on cannabis.
All three were “potentially dangerous for human consumption” High Alert said through a spokesman.
Paclobutrazol was commonly used to make stems grow taller.
“When buds that contain paclobutrazol are smoked [the chemical] breaks down into nitrosamines — the most carcinogenic compound found in cigarettes" they warned.
“Studies say paclobutrazol can negatively impact fertility, as well as cause liver damage.”
Daminozide is used to increase cannabis bud yields by slowing the growth of leaves and stems.
But its use also decreases the levels of THC - the psychoactive compound recreational users generally want in their cannabis.
“Daminozide is listed as a probable human carcinogen by the EPA [Environmental Protection Authority],” High Alert said.
Health authorities around the world, including in New Zealand, do not allow its use on consumable plants due to potential health risks.
High Alert said the third most used PGR was cholormequat chloride. Large quantities of it have been linked to organ damage as well as skin and eye irritation in New Zealand.
“PGR cannabis can be very dangerous to people’s health, both in the long and short term, and is best avoided,” High Alert said.
The drug warning system said there were several “tell-tale signs” users could look for if they wanted to tell PGR cannabis apart from naturally-grown cannabis.
They include rock-hard dense and heavy buds, an excess of brown or red hairs, low THC content, a “harsh chemical taste”, little smell when cannabis is broken and a “fast-acting chemical high that may cause lethargy (low energy and motivation) and headaches”.
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience.
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