Former K2 users welcome ban

A former synthetic cannabis smoker has welcomed today’s ban on K2, after two of its ingredient were made illegal to import, manufacture, sell and supply.

A Hamilton synthetic cannabis smoker of two years, Kurt, gave up the substance after finding it difficult to breathe and realising K2 was becoming too expensive.

“When I smoked it, it made me feel stoned but was more like a combo of smoking weed and P. I had the hype and the relaxed feeling at the same time,” said Kurt, who didn’t want his surname used.

Kurt’s partner described his addiction as hell.

“Moods were so up and down, he’d accuse me of starting fights when in fact it was him,” she said.

Hallucinations and delusions that Kurt experienced included cutting off conversations with his partner and imagining zombies were coming.

They both agree that making the chemicals found in K2 illegal will be a real positive.

A Kawerau 16-year-old who stopped smoking K2 after she had a seizure is also pleased at the ban.

She began taking the drug when her local dairy owner recommended trying it because it was new to the market.

“The buzz was just so out of this world, eventually I ended up loving it,” she said.

The seizure gave her a wakeup call and she stopped using K2 immediately.

She is glad about the law change because she sees the negative effects of K2 on her friends every day.

Drug and alcohol clinical therapist Lynette Jayne said the ban is great. “There is a lot of really bad stuff happening to people physically and mentally. I hope it isn’t replaced with some other legal high and if so, make sure it is safe before putting it on the shelves.”

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