Ban synthetic cannabis sold in head shops, advises drugs committee

THE Government’s drug advisory body has recommended an entire range of synthetic cannabis chemicals sold in head shops be banned.

Some of these chemicals have been found in herbal “spice” mixtures in head shops around the country.

These manmade chemicals are up to 100 times more potent than illegal plant-based cannabis.

The National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) has told the Government it is possible under Irish law to ban around 170 cannabis chemicals by controlling six different chemical groupings.

This would end the practice of manufacturers getting around laws banning specific substances by altering the chemical compound and producing a slightly different, and legal, substance.

“We sent our first report to the Minister for Drugs John Curran last week regarding spice products,” said NACD chairman, Dr Des Corrigan.

“We are recommending a whole range of these synthetics cannabis chemicals be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

“There are 170 possible chemicals under six different chemical groups, only a few have appeared in the spice products. We’re lucky here and in Britain that we have generic legislation: you can control the chemical derivatives. This circumvents the problem that if you control just one, manufacturers can produce another one.”

Dr Corrigan said these synthetic cannabis chemicals were “much more powerful” than the plant variety, and that one substance was 100 times more potent”.

Speaking at a conference on cannabis, he said these substances can cause “psychosis-like panic attacks, heart problems and addiction”. He said they also posed overdose risks.

He said these products have been banned in nine other EU countries, including Britain, which also banned a number of derivatives of amphetamine BZP, including mephadrone, at the same time. BZP has been banned in all EU countries. Ireland did so last March.

He said while his personal preference would be to ban head shops, regulation was still an option.

Meanwhile, gardaí have visited head shops in the border counties in a check-up to ascertain if any illicit substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act were being offered for sale.