5 reasons why synthetic weed is a dud bud

Synthetic drugs: just how unpredictable are these fakes?

While we ve all purchased a fake or two when travelling in Bali or Thailand, most of us know what we buy there may not end up being all that we expect it to be. We know that designer handbag might look hot, but the stitches will be unravelling in no time; and those cheap Ray Ban sunnies seem awesome, but the lenses will likely drop out mid-selfie. Fakes may trade off the same or a similar sounding name, or even look convincingly like the original product, but most people are savvy enough to know that their experience with these products may not be as good as expected.

With so many of us aware of the differences between fake and original products when it comes to things like fashion or sunnies, why is it that when it comes to substances like synthetic drugs dangerous knock offs of existing drugs that have dangers of their own we don t think to question their predictability or quality? Why do we expect dodgy stitching or logo misspelling in fake designer fashion, but think designer drugs will perfectly mimic the real thing? Cannabis and synthetic cannabis are not the same drug at all, and while marijuana poses its own threat to health and wellbeing, the mysterious compositions in drugs marketed as synthetic cannabis amplify these risks up to a hundred or more times and may result in effects as extreme as death.

Synthetic marijuana is an unpredictable and dangerous drug

Fake weed, or synthetic cannabis, is a drug that might look harmless due to professional-looking packaging and marketing, but in reality these concoctions could be just about anything. While you may be familiar with the effects of cannabis, synthetic cannabis doesn’t usually contain any THC at all just chemicals that act on the same parts of the brain but in way higher doses and with unpredictable effects as they ve never been tested on humans. Manufacturers of synthetic cannabis have product quality and safety last on their list of priorities, and profit first. The big point to remember about this fake is dodgy stitching or faulty lenses are the least of your worries synthetic cannabis can give you wildly different effects each time you use it. You may enjoy the high on one occasion, while on another, you might experience annoying symptoms like dizziness and nausea, and other times, life-altering affects like psychosis, heart attack or even death.

Here are five reasons why synthetic cannabis is a dud bud.

1. You never know what you re going to get

Fake weed is unpredictable and manufacturers are not acting within the law when they make and sell it. This means the products are not subject to quality control, safety testing or regulations, and as you might see on the packaging, the manufacturers often even mark their own products as unfit for human consumption . Drug users commonly complain on forums that they didn’t get the high they were looking for from synthetic cannabis, that the product they paid for never turned up in the mail, and that the effects from certain batches were annoying and sometimes really scary or resulted in long-term health problems. Users have reported a range of worrying effects after smoking the drug, including nausea, vomiting, chest pains, anxiety, seizures, panic attacks, disorientation and headache. Others have experienced devastating consequences ranging from terrifying hallucinations to hospitalisation and even death.

Many have also noted how addictive the drug can be, complaining they got hooked really quickly, spent a lot of money and had trouble controlling use or quitting.

2. Its illegal

Despite synthetic cannabis being legal a number of years ago, when it first appeared on the market, it is now most definitely illegal right across Australia. It doesn’ t matter if you order it from an overseas website and have it posted here, buy it from a tobacco or sex shop or just get some off a mate all types of fake weed are banned and you will face legal consequences if you are caught distributing, buying or consuming it.

3. The high is often no good

Many people who use the drug are looking for a good high something relaxing and chilled-out, minimally affected by paranoia and anxiety. Synthetic cannabis users rarely describe their high this way, many criticising the strength of the product and the resulting high saying a little of the drug produces a very strong and uncontrolled high that more often than not results in nausea and severe headaches, paranoia, hallucinations and other nasty effects. A lot of cannabis users have acknowledged the drug is unpredictable and dangerous and not something they’d want to use regularly or even ever again.

4. It s a waste of money and sometimes a complete scam

Manufacturers of synthetic cannabis are only interested in making money. Scamming is common and particularly easy for them to get away with as many people buy the drugs online. You may never see the product you purchased, it may get seized by customs, the effects you are after might be negligible or unwanted and you might end up being fined, facing other legal consequences or having to pay for medical help and time off work if you experience the negative effects mentioned earlier. And all of this while the manufacturers get away with your money!

5. It won t help you beat a drug test

Many people in the mining industry and other jobs where drug testing is common use fake weed in the belief that it will help them avoid a positive drug test. Testing has evolved now to the point where the chances of avoiding detection by using synthetic cannabis are slim at best. More importantly, synthetic weed has a negative effect on work performance and can seriously impair the user, putting them and their co-workers or customers at risk of injury or even death. Workers comp will not cover someone who has used this drug or any other banned substance.