Drug and law enforcement officials are on high alert following the discovery of the deadly synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) on the island.
Director of the Forensics Sciences Centre Cheryl Corbin confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday that a sample of a previously unknown substance submitted to the centre on August 3, had tested positive for two types of SCs – MDMB 4en Pinaca and 4-Fluoro MDMB Butica – listed as new psychotropic substances (NPS) encountered by law enforcement.
Synthetic cannabinoids are substances made in laboratories that mimic the biological effects of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams said the discovery of the highly dangerous substance is cause for concern for all nationals since people may purchase and use it believing it is actually marijuana.
He said he had been advised that the effects of using synthetic cannabinoids are nothing compared to those from smoking marijuana, noting that the reaction is immediate, drastic and has exceedingly serious consequences.
“I can tell you don’t go and buy weed. Weed is illegal in Barbados at this point in time, but we all know and we in the NCSA [National Council on Substance Abuse] know, and the police know people are going to buy it. People who are accustomed to smoking weed are going to buy weed,” a frank Abrahams said at the press conference held at the Eastern Caribbean Bible Camp in Ruby, St Philip.
“So we have to be real now and say, in addition to that, be careful of what you are buying. Know what you are putting into your body. It may not be what you expect, and it may not just make you high; it may kill you the first time you use it. I do not think that I can be any more direct than that.”
Pointing out that the substance has “no marijuana characteristics”, he warned that “somebody can spray this onto thyme, they can spray it onto incense, they could spray it on to tobacco, they can spray in onto fanta, and you will burn these things [not knowing] what it is that you are actually doing to yourself or the people that are ingesting this smoke.
“This is as real as it gets. If you smoke that near me who does not know what it is, the impact on me is just as bad as the impact on you. So innocent third parties and bystanders can be impacted by the decision to use these things, or in some instances, using these things in ignorance of what they truly are. We have pushed this out to the point of an alert as fast as possible because the public needs to know what is out there,” he added.
Confirmation of the presence of synthetic cannabinoids in Barbados comes on the heels of several videos circulating on social media recently, showing people behaving strangely after using a substance.
“I think everybody in here saw the videos that were circulating, and persons were laughing and they thought, ‘look how this person getting high from one joint’. Somebody had three pulls and started to spasm; they could not stand up, and they urinated on themselves. It was circulated and went viral, and people considered it a joke that somebody had an excessive response to marijuana,” Abrahams noted.
“This is not a joke. And because people are unknowingly taking this drug, believing it to be marijuana, they take it in the same way that they would take marijuana without knowing the content or the quantity of what it is they are actually ingesting.”
Stressing the seriousness of the situation, the Home Affairs Minister noted that in August 2020, three months after being identified in one country, there were 11 deaths associated with the use of the substances.
He said this spoke to not only the toxicity of the drug but the speed with which it impacts individuals. And he cautioned that a situation like that in Barbados would place an additional burden on an already challenged public healthcare system.
“I want to underscore that these synthetic cannabinoids have no accepted medical use in treatment. In fact, these products are usually labelled as ‘not for human consumption’. In addition, there is a real danger to persons using this substance as this presents further challenges for the appropriate medical intervention.
“The symptoms resulting from use can not only lead to serious health problems but can possibly bring individuals into contact with the law, in cases of increased violence where you might injure someone else,” Abrahams said.
Highlighting the need for a coordinated response to the issue of drug abuse in Barbados, the minister said he had initial discussions with the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and had instructed the NCSA to review and update the Barbados National Anti-Drug Plan to reflect a proactive approach.
“We are going to work with the police and all of the agencies involved to come up with a response to this. There is nothing now that contemplates this because this is brand new. We have to learn how to detect it, we have to learn more about its use, and we have to get the information out there,” he said.
Abrahams added that he had implored government agencies like the Barbados Postal Service and Customs, which represent a frontline in the response, to stand ready to ensure that substances that arrive via online sales are recognised at ports of entry.
Meanwhile, Corbin also advised marijuana users to be sure of what they are smoking.
“If you are going to smoke weed, make sure you know what it is, you know what it looks like. Smoke the bud, don’t let [anybody] roll [any] joints for you. You may think that that is funny, but if you are going to look to save your life, you need to know where you are getting what you are getting from and where it is coming from.
“Other than that, you put yourself at risk from one pull to be six feet under or cremated. And that is not bringing doom and gloom; these are facts, and we are being very real. We may get some licks for what we are saying here today, afterwards, but it is reality,” the experienced scientist said.
Inspector Service Glyne Yearwood who is attached to the Narcotics Unit of the Barbados Police Service said that based on the limited information available, there will be heightened monitoring and screening efforts at ports of entry.
“We are still in the teething stages, so I am not going to say that we will go out there and try to detect or investigate. At this stage, we are going to take our going forward from the forensics lab,” Inspector Yearwood said.
