AUSTRALIA (AP) — Bob Marley once crooned how everything is going to be all right – and three men are hoping it’s true after suffering severe reactions from smoking a drug named after the reggae icon.
Victoria has issued an urgent health warning for users of “Marley”, a synthetic drug designed to copy the effects of cannabis.
Three Victorian men have suffered severe reactions from smoking a synthetic drug named Marley.
Three men in Melbourne bought the drug this week at the same sex shop in the city’s southeastern suburbs and ended up in hospital.
Acting Chief Health Officer Michael Ackland says he’s worried the drug could be sold elsewhere, putting others at risk.
“These drugs are dangerous,” Dr Ackland said on Friday.
“I strongly urge anyone who has Marley or any synthetic drug in their possession to refrain from using it.”
Police found one man, in his 20s, agitated and confused on Wednesday evening before he had a seizure and needed to be taken to hospital.
Two other men, both in their 40s, shared a sachet of Marley and needed to be taken into an intensive care ward on Thursday.
Dr Ackland said he was worried about the rapid spread of synthetic drugs despite new laws that banned products designed to mimic the effects of illegal drugs.
Other synthetic drugs targeting cannabis users are sold under names ranging from K2, Kronic and Ash Inferno to Black Widow and Slappa.