Link 

DarthKermit: Synthetic cannabis deaths could've been avoided - Dunne

 

Link 

 

 

 

Oh - Peter Dunne:

 

Fairfax Media confirmed a few weeks ago that Dunne's son James, a lawyer at Chen Palmer, was a lawyer and lobbyist on behalf of the synthetic cannabis industry.

 

Key confirmed today the relationship had been checked with the Cabinet Office, which saw no issue.

 

James Dunne's online profile describes him as a lawyer with "inside knowledge of how Parliament works", specialising in the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority, which oversees the regulating of legal highs.

 

Legalising cannabis would have destroyed the synthetic cannabis industry.

before lobbying for synthetic cannabis he lobbied for the tobacco industry. Was that a step up or down?
There was some hooha about Dunne and his son going on a junket financed by the tobacco industry some years ago, thanks for reminding me. 

"Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne says a spate of deaths linked to synthetic cannabis could have been prevented if the products hadn't been banned and driven underground."

vs.

"Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne says a spate of deaths linked to [insert drug of choice here] could have been prevented if the products hadn't been banned and driven underground."

Why the focus on that drug only, Pete? 

How blind obstinance turned a manageable problem into a major health crisis.

And another moron died today from smoking this poison generally labeled as synthetic cannabis. 

Yeah, here's a follow-up story.

geekiegeek:

 

“otherwise innocuous herb”

 

SHORT-TERM EFFECTS

 

• Sensory distortion - Not for me..
• Panic - Not for me..
• Anxiety - Not for me..
• Poor coordination of movement - Not for me..
• Lowered reaction time - Not for me..
• After an initial “up,” the user feels sleepy or depressed  - Not for me.. that maybe the type.. sativa over indica anyday..
• Increased heartbeat (and risk of heart attack) - Not for me.. my tracker shows my heart rate the same..

LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA

 

• Reduced resistance to common illnesses (colds, bronchitis, etc.) - haven't been sick in years, never had a flu jab either..
• Suppression of the immune system - Not for me..
• Growth disorders - Not for me..
• Increase of abnormally structured cells in the body - what's normal cells?
• Reduction of male sex hormones - Defiantly not for me..
• Rapid destruction of lung fibers and lesions (injuries) to the brain could be permanent - Not for me..
• Reduced sexual capacity - Increased for me..
• Study difficulties: reduced ability to learn and retain information - Study high.. get high marks..
• Apathy, drowsiness, lack of motivation - I have a smoke before I go to the gym.. lots of motivation for me..
• Personality and mood changes - from happy to awesome?
• Inability to understand things clearly - I'm pretty clear on your points copied and pasted, and I'm reasonably successful in my career..

And yes I have inhaled (for many years every day until I realized what it was doing to me).

 

 

I've been smoking since I was 12.. it affects everyone different..

I met my wife (of nealy 20 years) at my local tinnie house lol.. most of my friends.. started my career over bucket bongs..

Got bosses high, been to bands with some bosses and got them high..

My kids never see or smell it (I use a herb vapor at home)

My friends are all business owners and doing pretty well.. we all smoke..

I go to the gym, have a smoke on the way there and home after..

So.. it affects everyone differently.. and I don't like being generalised into a type because it didn't work out for you..

No hating on you.. just pointing out that it's not the same for everyone..

HcoNmeM:

 

Not sure I would go quite this far but I agree it affects everyone differently. I enjoyed it when I was young, haven't touched it since. Not because I would have a problem with it, I just don't feel a need.

Even Peter Dunne thinks official drug policy on both sides is ridiculous. Read his comment at the bottom of the page.

I heard comment on the radio from someone this morning (expert - sorry I can't reference who it was;

We should avoid using the term "synthetic cannabis"

because it's not - it's just a method for using "smoking" to deliver unknown drugs into their bloodstream.  People don't tend to die from the acute effects of cannabis - as for long-term effects of chronic use of cannabis - while I'm less confident that it's as harmless as some posters suggest above - the long term effect of even occasional "synthetic cannabis" use can't be known at all.  If the acute effects are occasionally killing people and/or seriously stuffing them up mentally - then it's pretty likely that long term effects will be very harmful indeed.

Some people might be inclined to think that "synthetic cannabis" is okay as an alternative to cannabis.  That's crazy - few people would want to take random tablets of something being sold with claim that it will get you really high - without knowing WTF it was. There are of course some who would - but I do think they're a minority.