NSW police are urging anyone in possession of synthetic cannabis to dump the stuff, after a 17-year-old boy died and two young men became ill after taking the substance branded as Chronic.
Hunter Valley teen Dean Shield, 17, was found unresponsive in a drain in Rutherford near Maitland on Saturday evening, several hours after apparently purchasing and taking the drug.
As detectives were searching for the origin of the drug, two more people – both 22 – became critically ill in a neighbouring suburb, also having consumed the drug (both are now reportedly in a stable condition).
A search warrant executed at a Rutherford property returned an unknown quantity of Chronic, which was then seized by police.
While the autopsy on Shield’s body won’t be completed until possibly Tuesday, and the toxicology report may take even longer, police are urging anyone considering experimenting with illicit or synthetic drugs to not do it.
“Police are warning anyone who is considering experimenting with illicit or synthetic drugs, no matter how they are branded or presented, to not do it. It’s a gamble with your life that’s just not worth taking,” a statement from NSW Police said.
It’s unclear if Chronic is linked to the notorious drug Kronic, another synthetic cannabis that was criminalised in 2011. According to reports, it’s still being sold on the black market, while ongoing concerns suggested that some synthetic drug manufacturers were sidestepping legislation by subtly tweaking the chemical compounds, thereby avoiding using any on the banned list.
Way back in 2011 when Kronic was making headlines,
PEDESTRIAN.TV spoke to a user, who told us he enjoyed it more because it gave a more constant high than weed, which varied from batch to batch. We asked him if he thought the drug should remain legal.
“Fuck no, it’s a drug,” replied Sebastian De-angello*.
“If you were 20, smoked Kronic and drove a car, you would be a weapon of mass destruction.”
Investigations are ongoing.
*Not his real name.
Photo: Dean Shield / Facebook.
