Contaminated Weed - Please Read

Good to see this has inflamed people; complain to your MP about it!

We have a voice, but we must speak LOUD to be heard!

 

UPDATE: WE MADE THE PRESS!

Keep your end up, people, we're winning!!

Found by a disciple on another website, yesterday. Looks like it's been pasted from a newspaper website, though:
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Warning to drug users
BEN KENDALL
02 January 2007

Drugs users across East Anglia were last night warned to exercise extreme caution after research showed cannabis supplies are being contaminated with harmful glass particles.

Campaign bodies lobbying for the legalisation of cannabis claim small glass beads - believed to be an industrial spray used for glass frosting - are being added to herbal cannabis in a bid to increase its weight and making “deals” more expensive.

Norwich-based group Cannaprag says police raids during the summer of 2006 which saw large scale cannabis farms - including several in Norwich, Yarmouth and King's Lynn - closed down have created a shortage of the drug meaning dealers are contaminating supplies in a bid to meet demand.

But this could have serious health consequences for thousands of users with some already reporting mouth ulcers, sore throats and chesty persistent coughs.

Cannaprag spokesman Derek Williams said the cannabis using community has had suspicions about contamination for about six months but has only now obtained evidence by analysing samples of the drug. At first the substance was thought to be a relatively harmless material such as sands but the results are far more worrying.

Mr Williams added: “What has become clear through this incident is that the government has no method of warning illegal drug users of dangers such as this and seemingly has no desire to do so.

“Government policy towards illegal drugs should not act in such a way as to increase the danger of using them by adding unknown risks.

“Cannaprag is calling for public information campaign to raise awareness of this contamination as a matter of urgency. It will be affecting a huge number of people. A public health warning is urgently needed to inform users that they should not smoke this contaminated cannabis and dealers should not sell it.”

Mr Williams said that such contamination is a result of prohibition and legalising cannabis would allow the government to ensure the safety of supplies.

“The reality is that people are going to use cannabis and, if that is the case, the government should have some way of ensuring their safety. The only way of doing this is through legalisation,” he said.

Magnification of three samples shows small beads 50 - 120 micrometers diameter, made of non-soluble high melting point glass like substance.

If smoked without a filter - as is common - these glass beads are drawn into the lungs.

The author of the research has remained anonymous but Cannaprag and other legalisation campaign groups are calling on the government to conduct its own research.
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Really hard to tell from those pics; try breaking up the buds, and shaking them out a bit. Examine what falls off.

Not sure what else to suggest, really...

 

You are probably fine; it tends to be very noticeable.

Don't quote me, though!

Enjoy that, you lucky thing, you!

 

Thanks, everyone, for your continued support. If we stick toether, we might just kill this problem.

Tests are being carried out to deterine what these contaminants are. I now also have a prominent journalist interested in the story, and I hope to see it carried in national newspaper in due course....

 

I had heard whispers it was making it's way to Canada. Just do the test before you buy, and boycott the nasty stuff.

Stay safe, dude.

 

It is possible, yes, but the 'crunch test' is really the best way. I realise it is unpleasant...

Remember, folks: This isn't just sand, it is alleged that a number of contaminants are being used, none of which you would want to inhale.


UPDATE
Translated from French newspaper articles, these came in the other day. Begs the question If Monsieur Chirac is not ignoring it, why is Mr Bliar?:

September 21 2006
INFORMATION RELATING TO the CANNABIS
During last weeks of associations of consumers of cannabis evoked on several occasions (in particular in an official statement addressed to the press from Nantes on September 7, 2006)"a persistent rumour of circulation of grass cut to crushed glass" and cases of hospitalization related to the consumption of these products in Brittany.
Challenged, the French Observatory of Drugs and Drug-addiction, person in charge for the device Sintes (national System of identification of the poisons and the substances)1 communicates the following elements.
The investigations carried out these last days tend to cancel these allegations with regard to the hospitalizations: ?
The DDASS of the Loire Atlantic and Ille and Vilaine contacted the services of the urgencies and pneumology of the hospitals of Nantes and Rennes. Didn't those raise any trace of hospitalization for pulmonary disorders due to the inhalation of hemp cut to glass crushed since July? Médecins association of the World contacted by the DDASS of the Loire Atlantique does not confirm the hospitalizations contrary with what is marked in the press release.
With regard to the presence of crushed glass, no confirmation could be obtained to date: ?
Since the beginning of September, Breton regional coordination Sintes solicited several people resources and did not obtain any testimony of circulation of such product on the Brittany area. Is an active research by the Sintes device in hand to try to obtain a sample of suspect product to analyze?
Questioned by the Sintes coordination of Rennes, the network of specialists in pneumology in the Breton Coordination of Tabacologie could make share of no description of pulmonary disorders related to the consumption of grass cut to crushed glass.
Other information: ? In July 2006, the scientific laboratory of police force of Lille analyzed a powder presented like a product intended for the cutting of grass of cannabis. The greenish powder of aspect came from the Netherlands according to the dispossessed person.
The analyses carried out made it possible to highlight microballs of glass (these microballs are not likely to involve serious medical effects in the short run). ? In August and September 2006, four samples could be collected by the Sintes coordination of Lille.
One of the products, supposed to contain microballs of glass, contained in fact of sand. The analyses of the three other products (two products supposed to contain sand, a product of glass wool) are in hand.
These elements reflect the situation to date. All new event will be communicated. 1 Set up since 1999, the Sintes device is a system of day before which falls under a prospect for public health and seeks to detect the presence of unusual and particularly harmful substances in illicit products.

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October 16 2006
INFORMATION RELATING TO the CANNABIS
Actualization of the official statement of September 21, 2006
During last weeks of associations of consumers of cannabis regularly evoked "a persistent rumour of circulation of grass cut to crushed glass" and cases of hospitalization related to the consumption of these products in Brittany.
Challenged, the French Observatory of Drugs and Drug-addiction, person in charge for the device Sintes (national System of identification of the poisons and the substances)1 had communicated first elements on 21 September last, now brought up to date.
With regard to the situation in Brittany: The investigations cancel the allegations relative to hospitalizations: ? The DDASS of the Loire Atlantic and Ille and Vilaine contacted the services of the urgencies and pneumology of the hospitals of Nantes and Rennes. Didn't those raise any trace of hospitalization for pulmonary disorders due to the inhalation of hemp cut to glass crushed since July?
Médecins association of the World contacted by the DDASS of the Loire Atlantique never confirmed the hospitalizations contrary with what was marked. The presence of crushed glass is not confirmed to date: ?
Questioned by the Sintes coordination of Rennes, the network of specialists in pneumology in the Breton Coordination of Tabacologie made share of no description of pulmonary disorders related to the consumption of grass cut to crushed glass?
Since the beginning of September, Breton regional coordination Sintes mobilized on the subject did not obtain any confirmation of circulation of such product on the Brittany area.
Within the framework of this research the Sintes device collected, at the beginning of October, a sample of product considered by the users suspect, as for his composition. This one is being analysed.
With regard to the situation in other French areas: ? In July 2006, the scientific laboratory of police force of Lille analyzed a powder presented like a product intended for the cutting of grass of cannabis. The greenish powder of aspect came from the Netherlands according to the dispossessed person. The analyses carried out made it possible to highlight microballs of glass (and not of crushed glass).
These microballs are not likely to involve serious medical effects in the short run.
1 Set up since 1999, the Sintes device is a system of day before which falls under a prospect for public health and seeks to detect the presence of unusual and particularly harmful substances in illicit products.
2? In August and September 2006, four samples could be collected by the Sintes coordination of Lille. The products contained a powder presumedly made up of microballs of glass for one, sand for two of them and glass wool for the last.
Complex analyses implemented within the framework of a collaboration with the network of the CEIP (Centers of evaluation and information on the pharmacodépendance) and the AFSSAPS (French Agency of safety medical of the products of health) and carried out by the physical Chemistry laboratory and crystallography of the UFR of Pharmacy of the University Victor Ségalen of Bordeaux, showed that these products contain, in various proportions, microballs of glass and quartz alpha forming a compound close but different from sand.
These particles, microballs and quartz alpha, because of their form (round in the case of the microballs or form not spiculée - without point for the quartz crystals), of their size, their adherence and their nature should not probably involve of immediate risk at the time of the inhalation.
These elements reflect the situation to date. All new event identified by the Sintes network will be communicated. Contact presses: Julie-Emilie Adès/ 01 41 62 77 46/ Julie-emilie.ades@ofdt.fr

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November 21 2006
INFORMATION RELATING TO the CANNABIS
Complement with the official statements of September 21 and October 16, 2006 In an official statement of October 16, 2006, the French Observatory of Drugs and Drug-addiction indicated to have collected, via the Breton regional coordination of the device Sintes1, a sample of product considered by the users suspect as for his composition.
It was specified that the product was being analysed. - the results of this analysis carried out within the framework of a collaboration with the network of the CEIP (Centers of evaluation and information on the pharmacodépendance) and the AFSSAPS (French Agency of safety medical of the products of health) and carried out by the physical Chemistry laboratory and crystallography of the UFR of Pharmacy of the University Victor Ségalen of Bordeaux, reveal that this product contains a large quantity of microballs of variable glass of dimension going from 0,02 to 0,3 mms in diameter.
This result thus does not confirm the rumour relating to the presence of crushed glass evoked by several associations of users. On the other hand it goes in the direction of other results of analyzed products these last months, recalled here: - In August and September 2006, four suspect samples were collected by the Sintes coordination of Lille.
The products contained a powder presumedly made up of microballs of glass for one, sand for two of them and glass wool for the last.
The complex analyses, identical to those carried out for the sample previously quoted, showed that these products contained, in various proportions, microballs of glass and quartz alpha forming a compound close but different from sand. - Lastly, in July 2006, the scientific laboratory of police force of Lille analyzed a powder presented like a product intended for the cutting of grass of cannabis.
The greenish powder of aspect came from the Netherlands according to the dispossessed person. The analyses carried out made it possible to highlight microballs of glass. According to the lung specialists questioned by network SINTES, these particles, microballs and quartz alpha, because of their form (round in the case of the microballs or form not spiculée - without point for the quartz crystals), of their size, their adherence and their nature should not probably involve of immediate risk at the time of the inhalation.
These elements reflect the situation to date. All new event identified by the Sintes network will be communicated.
1 Set up since 1999, the device Sintes (national System of identification of the poisons and the substances) is a system of day before which falls under a prospect for public health and seeks to detect the presence of unusual and particularly harmful substances in illicit products.

 

AT LONG LAST!

 

For info, my follow-up letter to Dr Russell: