January 14, 2015
Police and health authorities are warning residents about the dangers of synthetic cannabis following the death of a Queensland man yesterday.
Detective Acting Inspector Sam Bliss said the ability to purchase items over the internet or in shops did not make their possession legal in Queensland, nor did it make them harmless or safe to consume.
“The chemical compounds found in these drugs are dangerous and are not herbal or natural alternatives to ‘real drugs’,” he said.
“They contain synthetic compounds which are toxic and extremely dangerous.”
He said drugs which mimic the effect of cannabis were included in Schedule 2 of the Drugs Misuse Regulation 1987.
“Offences exist for possessing, producing, supplying and or trafficking in dangerous drugs, which includes so-called synthetic products containing these substances,” he said.
Police are investigating the death of a 33-year-old man in Mackay, as well as the circumstances surrounding an earlier admission to hospital of a 41-year-old man with a life-threatening medical condition.
UPDATE January 15: A second death has now been linked to the use of synthetic cannabis. Police have executed search warrants at business premises in Toowoomba, Bundaberg, Mackay and Rockhampton.
