KIA ORA, GOOD EVENING. TONIGHT ` SYNTHETIC CANNABIS. IF YOU THOUGHT THESE DANGEROUS DRUGS WEREN'T MUCH OF A PROBLEM ANY MORE, WELL, THAT WOULD BE COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN TOLD BY THE GOVERNMENT. BUT MICHAEL MORRAH IS ABOUT TO SHOW YOU WHY THAT ASSESSMENT SIMPLY ISN'T CORRECT. IN THIS EPISODE OF 3D INVESTIGATES, MICHAEL DISCOVERS THAT SYNTHETICS COULD NOW BE A BIGGER SCOURGE THAN P. IT'S JUST AFTER 9 IN THE MORNING, AND THERE'S AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY OUTSIDE A RATHER ORDINARY SOUTH AUCKLAND HOUSE. THERE'S A GROUP OF YOUNG MEN HANGING AROUND OUTSIDE, NOT DOING MUCH OF ANYTHING ` EXCEPT BRANDISHING A CLUB. ON THE OTHER FOOTPATH, THERE'S ANOTHER GROUP ` KIDS, REALLY ` HEADING FOR THE SAME HOUSE, TRYING THEIR LUCK WITH PARKED CARS ALONG THE WAY. WE OBSERVE FOR 30 MINUTES ` IN THAT TIME, DOZENS MORE PEOPLE, BOTH IN CARS AND ON FOOT, STOP BY TO CHECK IF THIS PARTICULAR PAD IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS. BUT IT'S NOT, SO THEY TURN AROUND AND LEAVE. YOU SEE, THIS IS A DRUG HOUSE - A HOUSING NZ PROPERTY RUN BY BLACK POWER. BUT THIS MORNING, THE HIGH GATE STAYS SHUT ` THE SIGNAL THAT THERE'S NO TRADING GOING ON RIGHT NOW. BUT WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PLACE IS IT'S NO LONGER A TINNY HOUSE, BUT RATHER WHAT'S KNOWN AS A SYNNY HOUSE. YES, THE ACTIVITY ON THIS STREET IS ALL ABOUT SYNTHETIC CANNABIS. TONIGHT WE INVESTIGATE THE BLACK MARKET IN SYNTHETIC PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS ` THE ARTIFICIAL CANNABIS YOU COULD ONCE BUY IN DAIRIES. WE SPEAK WITH BOTH ADDICTS AND DEALERS ` EVEN MANUFACTURERS - AND UNCOVER EVIDENCE THAT SYNTHETICS ARE BEING MADE AND DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY. MOST WORRYINGLY, THERE'S INCREASING EVIDENCE THESE NEW, UNCONTROLLED FORMS OF SYNTHETIC CANNABIS COULD KILL. I TRIED IT ONE TIME AND I FELT I WAS GOING TO FALL THROUGH THE FLOORBOARDS. I WAS ON THE GROUND AND I JUST COULDN'T EVEN REALLY MOVE. SYNTHETIC CANNABIS WAS DESIGNED TO MIMIC THE EFFECTS OF THC ON THE BRAIN, INTRODUCED AS A LEGAL ALTERNATIVE TO MARIJUANA. IT WAS SOLD IN SHOPS EVERYWHERE. BUT EVENTUALLY THE GOVERNMENT WAS FORCED TO PUT AN END TO IT. IN MAY LAST YEAR, ALL PRODUCTS WERE EFFECTIVELY BANNED. SINCE THEN, THE ASSOCIATE HEALTH MINISTER, PETER DUNNE, HAS BEEN KEEN TO STRESS THAT BLACK MARKET SALES AREN'T TOO MUCH OF A PROBLEM. WHILE THERE'S SOME UNDERGROUND MARKET, IT'S COMPARATIVELY SMALL. IT'S LARGELY RESIDUAL STOCKPILING, AND THE POLICE LARGELY HAVE THAT UNDER CONTROL. I THINK POLITICIANS SPEND TOO MUCH TIME BEHIND A DESK AND SHOULD GET OUT AND, UH, ACTUALLY WALK THE STREET AND FIND OUT FOR THEMSELVES. JOE KNOWS THE SOUTH AUCKLAND SYNTHETICS MARKET WELL. HE SAYS PETER DUNNE HAS GOT IT WRONG. SO THE STUFF'S VERY AVAILABLE? YEP. IF YOU WANT IT IN SOUTH AUCKLAND, YOU CAN GET IT? YEP. HE EVEN HAS INSIDE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THIS STATE-OWNED GANG-RUN DRUG HOUSE OPERATES. BUT LIKE MANY WHO SPOKE TO US FOR THIS INVESTIGATION, HE WANTS HIS IDENTITY CONCEALED. OH, YEAH, THIS HOUSE IS PRETTY POPULAR, EH. THEY CAN MAKE UP TO 10 GRAND IN THE SPACE OF FOUR HOURS. AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TURNING UP ON A DAILY BASIS TO BUY THIS STUFF? OH, I'VE HEARD OF PEOPLE STANDING OUTSIDE THIS HOUSE IN THE MASSES OF, LIKE, 40 TO 50 PEOPLE UH, WAITING FOR HIM TO OPEN HIS GATES. JOE HATES THE TRADE OF SYNTHETIC DRUGS. I KNOW ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS WOULDN'T GIVE UP IF IT MEANT LIFE AND DEATH. THEY'RE STILL CURRENTLY USING IT? YEP. HOW OFTEN DO THEY USE IT? EVERY DAY. BUT THIS ISN'T JUST A SOUTH AUCKLAND PROBLEM. WE'VE ACQUIRED THIS HIDDEN CAMERA FOOTAGE FROM TAURANGA WHICH SHOWS JUST HOW EASY IT IS TO BUY SYNTHETIC CANNABIS ON THE STREET. SYNTHETICS? YOU WANT SOME? I CAN GET YOU SOME. $30.00. HE GRABS HIS SHOES, THEN, IT'S OFF UP THE ROAD, JUST A FEW HOUSES AWAY. LEADING THE WAY IS A TEENAGER. IN FACT, HE'S A 15-YEAR-OLD ON SCHOOL HOLIDAYS. JUST WAIT? YEAH. YEAH, SURE. THE ACTUAL ADDRESS IS STILL A SECRET, BUT THE PURCHASE ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES. AND THAT'S ALL IT TAKES TO BUY A BAG OF BLACK-MARKET SYNTHETIC POT. I KNOW OF FOUR DIFFERENT PLACES WITHIN ONE SUBURB THAT ARE SELLING THE STUFF. IT'S RANGING FROM ANYWHERE BETWEEN $30 TO $100 FOR A SMALL BAG OF IT. TAURANGA LOCAL CORRINA WAS ADDICTED TO SYNTHETICS WHEN THEY WERE BEING SOLD LEGALLY. SHE WENT COLD TURKEY AND HASN'T LOOKED BACK, BUT SHE SAYS THE DRUGS ARE AS PREVALENT AS EVER. I KNOW OF PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT STILL SELL THESE THINGS, LEGALLY AND ILLEGALLY. UM, THERE'S DAIRIES AND ALL SORTS, BUT THE WORST PART IS IT'S AFFECTING THE YOUNGER GENERATION, AND PEOPLE ARE TARGETING YOUNGER CHILDREN, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE IS OK. HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I HAVE` SINCE THE BAN HAS BEEN IN PLACE, UM, WE HAVE ACTUALLY... HAD TROUBLE WITHIN MY FAMILY, OF THE YOUNGER ONES GETTING INVOLVED IN THAT SORT OF THING. RESEARCHER KATE DUDER KNOWS ALL TOO WELL ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING INVOLVED IN THE TRADE. SHE WORKS FOR AUCKLAND COUNCIL'S COMMUNITY ACTION YOUTH AND DRUGS TEAM AND HAS BEEN GATHERING DATA ON USERS IN WEST AUCKLAND. THE YOUNGEST WE INTERVIEWED AND SURVEYED WAS AROUND 14, AND 14 TO 17-YEAR-OLDS ARE STILL USING OR HAVE BEEN USING SYNTHETICS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, UM, AND PRETTY MUCH EVERY YOUNG PERSON WHO USED SYNTHETICS OR HAS HAD EXPERIENCE OF THEM HAS HAD A REALLY NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE. IN FACT, OF 126 PEOPLE SHE SURVEYED, NEARLY 30% HAD USED SYNTHETICS IN THE PAST YEAR. THAT'S MORE THAN A QUARTER WHO REPORT STILL USING SYNTHETICS EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN BANNED. HOW DANGEROUS IS THIS STUFF? > (SIGHS) IT'S REALLY HARD TO KNOW, BECAUSE WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT'S IN THESE DRUGS AT THE MOMENT. BUT AS OUR INVESTIGATION WILL REVEAL, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S IN THEM. SO, IF YOU COME THROUGH HERE, THIS IS THE INSPECTIONS FACILITY. THE THRIVING UNDERGROUND MARKET IN SYNTHETIC CANNABIS NEEDS PRODUCT. THIS IS ONE SOURCE - CUSTOMS INTERCEPT A STEADY STREAM OF PSYCHOACTIVE CHEMICALS THAT CAN BE USED TO MANUFACTURE SYNTHETICS. OK, SO, THE PRODUCTS AT THIS END OF THE TABLE ARE SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS FROM OVERSEAS VIA THE INTERNET. THIS IS THE RAW INGREDIENT WHICH HAS COME FROM A LABORATORY OVERSEAS THAT IS COMMERCIALLY PACKAGED AND HAS THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE SHOWN ON IT. AND THAT LOOKS LIKE A FINISHED PRODUCT. AND THAT'S THE FINISHED PRODUCT THAT IS ALREADY MIXED WITH THE POWDER READY FOR SALE. BUT THE DISTURBING THING IS IT APPEARS LOCAL MANUFACTURERS DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO RELY ON GETTING CHEMICALS ACROSS THE BORDER TO FUEL THE UNDERGROUND SYNTHETICS MARKET. DAVE AND TOM ARE EX-ADDICTS AND DEALERS WHO HELPED DISTRIBUTE BLACK-MARKET SYNTHETICS AROUND THE CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND. THEY HAVE FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL MANUFACTURE AND SAY THE INGREDIENTS ARE SIMPLE AND HIGHLY TOXIC. ONE OF THE MAIN ONES CURRENTLY BEING USED IS A TYPE OF HORSE TRANQUILLISER. AND IS THE NEW STUFF SIMILAR IN ITS EFFECTS TO THE STUFF THAT WAS SOLD LEGALLY? WHO'S BUYING IT? WHAT AGE GROUPS? YOU WERE SELLING IT TO YOUNG KIDS? YEP. YEAH. < HOW OLD? < COS IT WAS GOOD MONEY? < WHAT DO YOU THINK NOW, LOOKING BACK ON THAT? < HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU THINK IS IN THIS BLACK-MARKET INDUSTRY NOW? FORMER USERS SAY IT'S NOTHING LIKE CANNABIS. TAURANGA YOUTH WORKER RANGI AHIPENE HAS WITNESSED THE SCOURGE OF THAT BLACK-MARKET TRADE. HE'S BEEN HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR 13 YEARS AND IS PART OF THE TEAM AT TE TUINGA WHANAU, A SUPPORT GROUP IN TAURANGA. HE SAYS SOME DEALERS WORRYINGLY ARE RESORTING TO EVEN CRUDER METHODS OF MANUFACTURE TO MAKE A QUICK DOLLAR. A YOUNG PERSON TOLD ME THAT, UH, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY GET SOME MIXED HERBS, SPRAY FLY SPRAY OVER IT, PACKAGE IT, AND SELL IT. SO I THINK WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS THE COMMUNITY APPEARS TO BE MORE AT RISK NOW THAN WHEN IT WAS LEGAL BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT BASICALLY PEOPLE JUMPING INTO THE MARKET, MAKING THIS STUFF OUT OF WHO-KNOWS-WHAT AND SELLING IT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSUMING IT. THIS IS ALL BACKYARD KIND OF CHEMISTRY, UM, AND PEOPLE EXPERIMENTING WITH A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT POTIONS. ROSS BELL IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NZ DRUG FOUNDATION. WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS A WHOLE SMORGASBORD OF NEW AND UNKNOWN CHEMICALS ON THE BLACK MARKET; NEW SYNTHETIC CANNABIS PRODUCTS THAT DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE THE BAN; A WHOLE LOT OF NEW AND UNKNOWN CHEMICALS. AND IS THAT DANGEROUS? IT'S HUGELY DANGEROUS. BOTH USERS AND DEALERS WE'VE SPOKEN TO AGREE. < DO YOU THINK THIS STUFF'S DANGEROUS? BUT AWAY FROM THE DEALERS AND GANGS, SOME SHOPS, LIKE THIS ONE IN TAURANGA, ARE STILL BUSY SELLING WHAT THEY REFER TO AS SYNTHETICS. THE NAMES ARE SIMILAR TO THE OLD BRANDS, EXCEPT THIS PACKET STATES IT DOESN'T CONTAIN ANY PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES, AND SHOULD BE USED AS INCENSE. UH, WHAT IS IT? SYNTHETICS. IT WAS MUCH THE SAME ON AUCKLAND'S K'ROAD. UH, GOT A FEW. OH YEAH? SO, DESPITE THE BAN ON SYNTHETIC CANNABIS, THERE'S STILL A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS AVAILABLE. THANK YOU, BRO. TAKE IT EASY. < CHUR. SO WHAT EXACTLY IS IN ALL THIS STUFF? WE'VE TAKEN TWO SAMPLES ` ONE BOUGHT FROM A SHOP IN TAURANGA AND ANOTHER BOUGHT FROM A SHOP IN AUCKLAND. BOTH CLAIM TO BE INCENSE, ALTHOUGH THEY WARN ON THE BACK THAT THEY'RE NOT FOR SALE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, AND THEY'RE NOT IN FACT INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION WHICH IS A BIT UNUSUAL. THEN WE'VE TAKEN THESE TWO SAMPLES FROM DRUG HOUSES IN TAURANGA AND AUCKLAND. THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW WITH CERTAINTY WHAT'S IN THIS STUFF IS TO GET EXPERT ADVICE. THE EXPERTS ARE THE SCIENTISTS AT AUCKLAND'S ESR LAB, WHICH IS WHERE WE'VE COME WITH OUR FOUR SAMPLES. AND WHAT THEY DISCOVER HERE IS TRULY ALARMING. WE'VE TAKEN FOUR SAMPLES OF SYNTHETIC CANNABIS TO SCIENTISTS AT AUCKLAND'S ESR LAB. TWO ARE FROM SHOPS; TWO ARE FROM ILLEGAL DRUG DEALERS. TESTS SHOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN THEM AND WHY THESE PRODUCTS DO SO MUCH DAMAGE. YOU CAN TELL WHEN SOMEBODY'S TAKEN SYNTHETICS. THEY JUST` IT'S LIKE THEIR BODY'S THERE BUT THEY'RE NOT. AND THEY JUST GO A VERY LIGHT SHADE OF GREY, AND, I MEAN I'VE SEEN EFFECTS THAT IT'S HAD ON SO MANY PEOPLE ` ANYTHING FROM VOMITING TO UNCONSCIOUS. SO WHAT COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE SUCH SEVERE AND VARIED REACTIONS? WELL, LET'S LOOK AT OUR RESULTS FROM ESR. THE SHOP BOUGHT SAMPLES SHOWED WHAT APPEAR TO BE ONLY MINOR ISSUES. BUT FAR MORE WORRYING WERE THE TWO SAMPLES FROM DRUG HOUSES. EACH CONTAINED A DIFFERENT PSYCHOACTIVE CHEMICAL, BOTH OF WHICH ARE BANNED INTERNATIONALLY, AND BOTH OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH DEATHS OVERSEAS. SO, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS STUFF HERE? SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS STUFF. WE'VE ASKED TOXICOLOGIST AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE SPECIALIST CHIP GRESHAM TO GIVE US MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE PARTICULAR CHEMICALS ESR DISCOVERED. THEY ARE DEFINITELY HIGHLY TOXIC, POTENTIALLY HIGHLY POTENT, AND THEY CAUSE SIGNIFICANT HARM. THEY CAUSE SEIZURES. THEY'VE BEEN REPORTED TO CAUSE DEATH. THIS IS NOT LIKE NATURAL MARIJUANA. THE SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS ARE SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. OUR RESULTS DESCRIBE ONE OF THE CANNABINOIDS AS '5F-PB-22'. THAT WAS IN THE SAMPLE FROM TAURANGA. AND SOMETHING CALLED 'AB-FUBINACA' WAS THE CANNABINOID PRESENT IN THE SAMPLE OBTAINED FROM THE GANG-RUN STATE HOUSE IN SOUTH AUCKLAND. IN THE US, MEDICAL LITERATURE HAS LINKED SEVERAL DEATHS TO BOTH COMPOUNDS, WITH USERS EXPERIENCING FRIGHTENING SIDE EFFECTS RANGING FROM BREATHLESSNESS YOUR MESSAGE IS YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR HEALTH AND LIFE AT RISK WHEN YOU TAKE THIS. CHIP GRESHAM WORKS AT MIDDLEMORE HOSPITAL. IN MAY, HE SAW A FLOOD OF ADMISSIONS AT THE ED; PEOPLE BADLY AFFECTED BY AN UNKNOWN SYNTHETIC COMPOUND. MOST TURNED UP AFTER HAVING SEIZURES. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT EFFECT SYNTHETICS ARE HAVING ON THE BRAIN? WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CAUSES IT. UNLIKE ANY` YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE OVERDOSES ON MORPHINE OR HEROINE, WE HAVE ANTIDOTES FOR THAT THAT CAN REVERSE THAT. THERE'S NOT AN ANTIDOTE OR REVERSAL AGENT FOR THIS. WE'RE KIND OF CHASING OUR TAILS A BIT. AS SOON AS WE TIE SOMETHING DOWN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT SOMETHING IS, WE'RE SIX MONTHS BEHIND, AND WE` WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING IN AND THAT'S WHY THE MESSAGE WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT IS YOU REALLY HAVE TO JUST STAY AWAY FROM THIS STUFF, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET. AND THAT GOES FOR THE SYNTHETICS WE BOUGHT IN SHOPS TOO, THE ONES WHICH CLAIMED TO BE INCENSE. ONE OF THEM CONTAINED WHAT ESR DESCRIBED AS AN 'UNIDENTIFIED SUBSTANCE'. THE OTHER HAD A CHEMICAL CALLED HORDININE ` AN APPETITE SUPPRESSANT USED BY BODY BUILDERS. THE PACKETS WE GOT FROM THE SHOPS STATE THEY HAVE NO CANNABINOIDS AND NO PSYCHOACTIVES. DO YOU TRUST THOSE CLAIMS? I WOULDN'T TRUST THOSE. THEY ALSO SAY THIS IS NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTIONS. EVEN THE PACKETS, THEY` THEY'RE SOLD AS SYNTHETICS, AND THEY SAY NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. YOU KNOW, I WOULD NOT TRUST A PACKET OF SYNTHETICS, UM, BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THEM. THOSE ON THE FRONT LINE SAY THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ACCEPT THAT A SERIOUS PROBLEM REMAINS. FIRST OF ALL, THERE NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THE PROBLEM IS BIGGER THAN WHAT PEOPLE SAY IT IS, AND THAT MAYBE STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES ARE PUT IN PLACE TO DEAL WITH IT. LIKE, YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE ADDICTS, SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO COME STRAIGHT ANYTIME SOON, SO THEY NEED HELP TO GET OUT OF THOSE PROBLEMS. AND WHAT ABOUT TRYING TO ELIMINATE THE BLACK MARKET BY ALLOWING AN ALTERNATIVE LIKE NATURAL CANNABIS TO BE SOLD UNDER TIGHT CONTROLS, AS IS HAPPENING INCREASINGLY OVERSEAS. IF YOU HAD SAID FIVE YEARS AGO YOU'LL SEE LEGAL CANNABIS IN US, I WOULD HAVE LAUGHED YOU OUT THE ROOM. BUT WE ARE SEEING THOSE THINGS NOW. WE'RE SEEING GOVERNMENTS LIKE URUGUAY CREATE GOVERNMENT-REGULATED MARKETS; GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE PUTTING THE SAME REGULATIONS OVER CANNABIS THAT NZ STARTED TO DO WITH SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS. THINGS COULD HAPPEN A LOT QUICKER IN NZ IF EVERY AROUND THE WORLD WAKES UP AND UNDERSTANDS THAT THE OLD WAYS OF CONTROLLING DRUGS HAVEN'T WORKED. AND THAT REGULATION, WHILE NOT PERFECT, IS MUCH BETTER THAN LEAVING IT TO THE GANGSTERS. USERS AND DEALERS WHO SPOKE TO US FOR THIS INVESTIGATION AGREE, AND THEY SAY IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY SAFE PRODUCTS AT THE MOMENT, STAY AWAY FROM EVERYTHING. GETTING INVOLVED WILL ONLY END BADLY. < AND YOURSELF TOM, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH YOUR MATE'S COMMENTS? WELL, IT'S A HARROWING WARNING FOR ANYONE THINKING OF TRYING THIS STUFF. WELL, WE'VE JUST HEARD FROM MINISTER PETER DUNNE AND HIS VIEW IS THE UNDERGROUND MARKET FOR SYNTHETICS IS STILL SMALL, AND HE CLAIMS NATURAL CANNABIS IS A FAR BIGGER HEALTH ISSUE FOE NZERS. THAT IS WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT THIS. WELL, WE AT 3D INVESTIGATES WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PEOPLE WHO WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO SHARE THEIR STORIES TONIGHT, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE NOW GETTING TREATMENT. WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. THANKS ALSO, OF COURSE, TO NZ ON AIR, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR WATCHING. I'LL BE HERE LATER WITH NEWSWORTHY, AND 3D WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK, MONDAY AT 9.35. WE'LL SEE YOU THEN. CAPTIONS BY ALANA CRUIKSHANK CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2015