Synthetic Cannabis Kills; There is a Simple Solution

Over the last year or so, I have been working with activists and educators in New Zealand to bring education about medical cannabis to the government and medical professionals. Over the summer, the New Zealand Herald released an article in the height of its Reefer Madness headlined: "Cops on Synthetic Cannabis: More will die."

Any informed, rational person interested in effective drug policy would have seen that as a plea to legalize cannabis. If that isn't such a plea, I don't know what is. No one has ever died from an overdose of real cannabis. The police seem to be demanding that something be done. The article states, "Police have warned the public that more people are going to die if something isn't done to put a stop to synthetic cannabis - a drug that has killed seven people in Auckland this month."

There is a simple solution, legalize cannabis. It is impossible for anyone to die of respiration suppression from real, botanical cannabis. Why? There are few or no CB1 receptors in the brain stem. The brain stem is the part of the brain that controls vegetative functions.

As far as I know there is no such thing as synthetic cannabis. Calling this stuff synthetic cannabis is an effort to demonize cannabis. Real cannabis contains 512 different molecules of which the knowledge and the cost to actually make would be prohibitive. Further, since cannabis does NOT kill people this is just fake news. It's like saying that both Donald Trump and Barack Obama were president of the U.S. so therefore their policies are the same because they were both called President.

No one experiences life threatening side effects from smoking God's cannabis. Let's be clear. No one has ever died from an overdose of cannabis because there are few or no CB1 receptors in the brain stem, hence respiratory depression is not possible.