Officials are issuing an alert over a potentially lethal batch of synthetic cannabis found in Christchurch thought to be linked to at least one death.
The strain is thought to be a variation of the synthetic cannabinoid - known as 5F-ADB, which was linked to a spate of deaths in 2017 and 2018.
1 NEWS understands investigations are still underway into several other deaths in Christchurch that may also be linked to it.
The deaths will be notified to the Coroner to determine the official cause of death.
Police say the synthetic - known as MDMB-4en-PINACA - is believed to be one of the most “dangerous synthetic cannabinoids currently in circulation”.
Detective Inspector Blair MacDonald of the police drug intelligence unit says officials around the world were monitoring the presence of the new variation of synthetic cannabinoids closely.
He says it is the third time the synthetic has been detected in the country within a year. It was previously picked up at the border and in Taranaki.
MacDonald says synthetic cannabinoids in all its forms was one of the “most dangerous drugs out there”.
“The international synthetic market moves quite quickly,” he says. “So as countries develop legislation to battle a particular cannabinoid, they develop a new one that fills that void.
Police say the drugs caused widespread harm in lower socio-economic communities and in those with mental health issues.
“So here in New Zealand we see more stronger and potent versions of that cannabinoid arriving.”
He says this poses a real risk to drug users.
“These are substances that are not regulated, not scientifically tested, so a user has absolutely no way of knowing what the dosage rate for them is.”
Today’s alert issued via the High Alert platform says the new variation has the “potential for serious harm as it can lead to rapid overdoses at low concentrations”.
It advised users to exercise “extreme caution” when consuming the drug. “In the past one ‘bong’ of synthetic cannabinoids has been enough to kill,” the warning says.
For the full report on the impact of synthetics on Kiwis watch 1 NEWS at Six.
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