INDONESIA
Twenty-two kilograms of a new synthetic tobacco laced with cannabis chemicals called “Ganesha” was discovered in Indonesia’s resort town of Puncak, near Bogor. Ganesha is reportedly 10 times more potent than Super Gorilla, also tobacco laced with cannabis compounds.
“The user only has to inhale the smoke three times to become unconscious or pass out,” said Bogor police’s head of narcotics, Andri Alam Wijaya.
According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Super Gorilla tobacco’s substances are absorbed by the lungs followed by other parts of the body, including the brain, after being smoked. Its users will feel like they are being crushed in a gorilla’s embrace when using the tobacco, hence the name.
The synthetic cannabinoid type of drug can also induce effects such as psychotic episodes, agitation, aggression, anxiety, ideas of suicide as well as withdrawal and addiction syndrome. Some cases also include ischemic strokes, hypertension, chest pain, severe kidney failure, or even heart attacks.
Indonesia’s Health Ministry is currently finalizing a draft on regulations which would define substances containing synthetic cannabis as Category I narcotics as per the nation’s Law on Narcotics, which would place it the same category of drugs as heroin, cocaine and all-natural marijuana.