Pubdate: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 Source: Taranaki Daily News (New Zealand) Copyright: 2011 Fairfax New Zealand Limited Contact: http://www.thedailynews.co.nz/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1056 Author: Leighton Keith, Taranaki Daily News BAN DOPE-A-LIKE, PRINCIPAL URGES Community concerns are growing over the use and potential abuse of potent synthetic cannabis substitutes being sold in New Plymouth. The Taranaki Daily News spoke to educators, employers, and police about their worries, yesterday. The substances have a different structure to traditional cannabinoids, including THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, but stimulate the same receptors in the brain. They are cannabimimetics, drugs that mimic the effect of cannabinoids. The synthetic dope does not show up as positive in a drug test. New Plymouth Boys' High School principal Michael McMenamin said he had heard about the products a month ago and had strong concerns about their availability. "The kids are telling me it's more powerful than marijuana," Mr McMenamin said. "For boys in particular we know that between the ages of 15 and 20 the developmental stuff is happening in the brain. This chemical, reacting in the brain is doing damage to brain cells." Mr McMenamin said urgent action needed to be taken to ban the products. "It is appalling that this sort of product is allowed and we need to get key people to react quickly," he said. Senior Sergeant Allan Whaley said the legal "dope" was not covered in drugged driving legislation introduced in 2009. The laws only related to a controlled drug (a drug that is classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975) or a prescription medicine, Mr Whaley said. Instead police would need to rely on their observations and information they received to determine a driver's physical and mental state. Mr Whaley said if a driver was considered to be too impaired to be behind the wheel they would be forbidden to drive for up to 12 hours and police would confiscate their keys, but they would not be charged. "If they choose to ignore the fact that they have been forbidden to drive and drive within that period they will be arrested," he said. Jim Ramsay, managing director of New Plymouth's Transport Investments, said the substances posed problems for all employers. "It is something that may lead us to do some thinking about this area of testing," Mr Ramsay said. Staff at the company were drug tested before starting and faced ongoing random testing. Mr Ramsay said the fact the cannabinoids did not show up in drug tests was tricky. "The fact is, it is ludicrous that one substance is banned and another substance that has exactly the same effects is legal," he said. Wicked high on sale next to packets of chips After reading yesterday's front page story in the Taranaki Daily News I felt tempted to try this synthetic cannabis. I was sceptical about what effects it would have. Cannabis is a mind-altering, class C illegal drug in New Zealand. This stuff is being sold in corner dairies next to chocolate and packets of chips. "Seriously how much of a high can this possibly give you and what's all the fuss about," I wondered as I prepared to go out and buy it. I made my selection based on the product's packaging and chose Aroma as it claimed to have "wicked strength." It cost me $25. A mate joined me for the experience and we rolled up a joint of the strange-smelling substance. Conversation flowed as we passed it around. It wasn't until we neared the end and my mate refused another puff, exclaiming "nah, I'm actually feeling pretty wasted" that it hit me. I was stoned. My head felt light and I was experiencing all of the same sensations usually associated with smoking illegal narcotics. Who would have guessed this green herb purchased in a dairy, with no gang members in sight had produced roughly the same effects as real cannabis. "I don't think I'd like to drive right now," my colleague said and all I could do was nod in agreement as my mind wandered off in another direction. Having these products on dairy shelves readily available for consumption makes an absolute mockery of New Zealand's drug laws, in particular the continued prohibition of cannabis. You would not want your young children freely able to buy and smoke this mind-altering drug and would have to question what effects it is having on the developing minds of adolescents. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.