A watchdog anti-drug organisation is sounding an early warning in relation to the recent discovery of a semi-synthetic drug on the shelves of a store.
The National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) revealed yesterday that following a seizure from a store the confiscated products were found to contain the semi-synthetic cannabinoid hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant.
Semi-synthetic cannabinoids (SSCs) “are a rapidly evolving group of new psychoactive substances” and are cannabis compounds which have been created by chemically modifying naturally occurring cannabinoids.
Deputy manager of the NCSA Troy Wickham said that following tests by the Forensic Services Centre, the products contained two dangerous substances while director of the centre Cheryl Corbin confirmed that two of the pouches contained illegal substances.
Samples examined
“All the samples were examined using chemical spectrophotometric and chromatographic techniques and the results were as follows. The very first item, item number one the substances detected were hexahydrocannabinol and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinoid. Items two and three, no substances were detected at that point,” Corbin stated.
In another pouch HHC and THC were again found and Corbin said that the names and colourful packaging were misleading, explaining that the unsuspecting would reach for the package to put in their tea since it is marked honey, royal and jelly; all familiar names for a particular brand. “ . . . As a consumer it is terribly misconstrued here,” she said.
Wickham, Corbin as well as Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams, are warning consumers that if they are suspicious about any items to leave it or/and report any suspicious products immediately.
Abrahams, who was also at the press conference, urged store owners to be vigilant and responsible about what they are putting on their shelves.
In circulation
“We have now come to the public and said these things are out there, they’re in circulation and they’re being sold in stores. We accept that some people say they did not know. I’m putting people on notice now that you are responsible for what it is on your shelves.
“If you have it on you or you have it for sale then you have a hard time trying to escalate liability for that,” he stated.
Little is known about the potency of the SSCs which are new to consumer markets, or the risk for dependency as well as adverse effects “compounded by the fact that many existing toxicology tests cannot detect these cannabinoids”.
Research shows that while HHC is not well-studied, so its overall health effects are unknown, the side effects may be similar to those of THC. These include anxiety, fear and panic, dry mouth, dizziness and confusion, fast heart rate, fatigue and hallucinations, among others.
Other potential health concerns related to THC include addiction, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, impaired brain development in people who start using HHC before age 26 and personal injuries and motor vehicle accidents as well as psychosis.
The panel explained that given that HHC is relatively new, research on the long-term effects and dependence potential is limited.
Therefore predicting HHC withdrawal symptoms was also difficult. (AC)
Hefty fine on the Store Owner should send a strong message.