Warning over legal ‘cannabis’

Saturday 13th January 2007, 12:00AM GMT.

ISLANDERS who smoke Spice – a legal ‘exotic herbal blend’ reputed to produce a cannabis-like high – are gambling with their health, the head of the Alcohol and Drug Service has warned.

Michael Gafoor spoke out after reports of people queuing to buy the ‘drug’, which is being sold across the counter at a shop in New Street. ‘Our advice is that, because so little is known about it, people should avoid using it even though the effects have not yet been shown to be harmful,’ he said. ‘People would not take a medicine or a tablet if they did not know what the effects were. ‘It could exacerbate respiratory problems, such as asthma, as smoking any drug can. People should treat it with caution until more is known about it. Anyone who smokes Spice is gambling with their health.’

Read the full story in the Jersey Evening Post. Click here for subscription details. Individual editions are also available online.