Aussies buying up new designer drug

Nine News ^ | November 5, 2009 | Ninemsn staff

[myknowledge]

A new drug billed as a mix between cocaine and ecstasy is being sold to Australians online, despite health authorities warning "human guinea pigs" to stay away because its long-term effects are not yet known.

The substance mephedrone is known in drug circles as MM-Cat, Plant Food Meow and 4-MMC and is being pedalled through websites like Facebook, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

But authorities are believed to be powerless to stop anyone buying it or importing it into Australia because its legal status has not yet been defined.

NSW Police told the Sunday Telegraph they were aware of mephedrone and said it was illegal because it is a derivative of the prohibited drug methacathinone.

Mephedrone — banned in Findland, Israel, Sweden and Denmark — comes in powder or pill form and is derived from the khat plant.

One milligram of the drug can be bought for as little as $15 while 1kg costs up to $6300. It can be purchased through websites based in the UK, where the drug is legal.

Queensland Police recently seized pills containing the drug from a car in Cairns. The Sunday Telegraph reports that it is the only known seizure of the drug in Australia.

Police are yet to press charges against the two people who were arrested because of the "grey legal area that surrounds the drug", the paper said.

Professor Iain McGregor, director of Sydney University's Psychopharmacology Laboratory, was quoted as saying that there was nothing wrong with the drug.

"Unfortunately for people like myself ... who [is] here to tell people drugs are bad, there doesn't appear to be a whole lot that is bad about it," Professor McGregor said.

[myknowledge]

Whoa. A new designer drug. I wonder if mephedrone is a Schedule I controlled substance?

[mamelukesabre]

This is where the zombies come from.

[Jeff Chandler]

"Ya don't say?!"

[guitarplayer1953]

I remember in the early 70’s when MDA was legal since it was derived from two different legal substances. I live in Kansas where the labs in Colorado were churning the stuff out it was going for 50 cents for a number five cap when it became illegal it shot up to 10 bucks a cap.

[elkfersupper]

Now we're being conditioned that Big Mac's and ice cream are huge problems.

Add more SWAT teams.

[guitarplayer1953]

It has amazed me that the boomers of free sex and free drugs has become one of the most controlling generation on record. they have no faith in people either out growing the trends or having enough sense not to do it. I did drugs for around 20 years did cigarettes for around 25 been clean around 23-24 years. I love it when I go into the local gas station mini mart and someone is laying out 5 bucks for a pack and I sate that the first pack I bought was 17 cents and quit when they were 50 cents. It just makes my day.

[KarinG1]

4-Methylmethcathinone (also Mephedrone, 4-MMC, 4-MMC, Meow, M-Cat, 2-Methylamino-1-p-tolylpropan-1-one) appears to be readily available online. Took me near two minutes to find some, but if I had guessed at the url it would have been faster.

[rake]

But authorities are believed to be powerless to stop anyone buying it or importing it into Australia because its legal status has not yet been defined...

Queensland Police recently seized pills containing the drug from a car in Cairns. The Sunday Telegraph reports that it is the only known seizure of the drug in Australia.

It's not illegal, but the authorities seized it anyway?

[elkfersupper]

the first pack I bought was 17 cents and quit when they were 50 cents. It just makes my day.

They still should be $0.17 per pack. The rest is taxes and control freakism.

[mysterio]

Don’t worry. The failed drug warriors will stop this new scourge.

[guitarplayer1953]

that was in 63 i was 10 and it was Arizona with state no sales tax. I remember my brother buying luckys for my dad out of a machine for 20 cents and there were two pennies in the pack for change.