With the ban on Kronic and other forms of synthetic cannabis in Western Australia, any use of Kronic by employees of WA mining sites will now be a criminal offence as well as a clear breach of MSI regulations. However, the question of whether new legal drugs that may emerge also fall within the scope of the MSI Regulation. “Polyuse” is a term for the simultaneous or successive use of more than one drug or type of drug.18 Polydrug use can include both illicit drugs and legal substances such as alcohol and medication. Synthetic cannabis is illegal in Australia, in all states and territories. The same chemical sprayed on plant material and smoked in cigarette paper was one of the so-called “legal highs” that became known as the zombie drug. Synthetic cannabis, commercially known as Kronic, K2, Kaos or Spice, is designed to circumvent drug laws and give users a “legal high.” But Western Australia banned the product earlier this month and South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania are ready to take similar action. While it may still be legal in some jurisdictions for now, employers should not underestimate the potential impact of employees using kronic and other synthetic drugs in the workplace. We encourage all employers reviewing their drug and alcohol policies in light of the issues discussed in this article to seek professional advice. In the absence of information from providers, users visited online forums to question the content of the drug. But now, tests show that Kronic juice, purchased from the company`s website and shipped to London, contains a class B drug. Officially known as 5F-CUMYL-PINACA, it is illegal to possess, supply or manufacture in the UK.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health and Aging said the department was aware of Kronic`s promotion as a legal drug with similar effects to cannabis. But before we can tackle the problem, we need solid research. This needs to be structured very carefully to study the impact of unregulated, clandestinely used and quasi-legal substances on the open market. In fact, states and territories have continued to amend their laws to ensure that these products remain illegal. When these drugs first came onto the market, they were not illegal in Australia or could be tested through random drug testing. But a lot has changed since the introduction of synthetic cannabis, including an Australian government crackdown on synthetic cannabis and a quick catch-up by drug testing authorities. While Kronic is still legal in some jurisdictions for now, employers should not underestimate the potential impact of synthetic drug use on their workplace. Until recently, synthetic cannabis products such as kronic, Spice, Karma or voodoo were sold in adult stores and online as a legal alternative to real cannabis. They are marketed as a legal blend of plants and herbs, but have actually been sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids or lab-made chemicals that give the same high as THC in real cannabis. In fact, synthetic cannabis is really just plants sprayed with chemicals. In high-risk industries, it may be wise to ban drugs like Kronic altogether for safety reasons, as some employers have already done.
Workers should also be clearly informed that, regardless of the legality or non-legality of certain drugs, anything that affects their ability to work may be subject to disciplinary action based on the employer`s health and safety obligations to ensure a safe workplace. Synthetic cannabis has been legally sold in Australia for about four years under brand names such as Kronic, Kaos and Voodoo. Kronic and other synthetic cannabis products do not contain THC, the main psychoactive compound in regular cannabis. As a result, the use of Kronic is not proven by the usual drug tests to detect traditional cannabis. In addition, Kronic is currently not illegal in some states, leading many employees to believe that it is more acceptable and less dangerous than illegal drugs. Users have said that it is several times stronger than herbal cannabis and have reported that it suffers from chest pain, seizures, memory loss and withdrawal. Some have bought Kronic Juice because they believe it contains a legal dose of CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabis extract that is said to have a wide range of health benefits, including relieving symptoms of depression and arthritis. , Blue Lotus, Godfather, Herbal Frankincense, Kronic, Lightning Gold, Mojo, Northern Lights blends often contain a blend of different active ingredients, although they are sold under the same brand name. Also, ingredients may change as various substances are made illegal, although the brand name may remain the same.
Thus, buying the same brand twice does not mean that the content is the same and therefore the effects may be different. It`s legal to buy and smoke, but an increasingly popular synthetic cannabis called Kronic poses a serious health risk to users, drug experts warn.
