Crashtest.im

The answer to this question will vary from country-to-country and the response below is based on current Manx law. In short, the answer is no, it is currently illegal to use marijuana/cannabis for medicinal purposes.

People have used marijuana/cannabis for all sorts of medical reasons over the years to treat things like nausea, pain and insomnia.  It has also been used by people suffering from multiple sclerosis to relax muscles and relieve pain.  There have been cases where individuals have used cannabis as a way of coping with stress or anxiety.  However, regardless of the reasons why, the use of cannabis remains illegal. In some situations the case for any real benefit is doubtful too.  This is especially true for mental health issues: cannabis should be avoided wherever there is a history of mental health problems or where there is a family history of mental illness.

On the more technical side, cannabis itself has no approved medical use and cannot be prescribed by doctors on the Isle of Man.  A cannabis extract has been developed as an oral spray, but this is specifically for use for those with multiple sclerosis.  A synthetic cannabinoid has been developed to counteract nausea in those undergoing chemotherapy.  With both of these drugs there needs to be very specific medical conditions before a prescription will be written.  So the answer to the question is yes you can use prescribed marijuana/cannabis for medicinal reasons but only under tight conditions. Any other cannabis use is against the law.

I am concerned about the side effects of this mephedrone stuff. Particularly I am concerned about info/comments regarding impotence as a side effect. Can you give me some info on whether or not this is a confirmed side effect and how commonly it occurs or quickly it develops? Also, is there anyway to verify that this stuff is in fact mephedrone?

Buying something off the streets especially when you don’t know your supplier is always dangerous.

With regard to Mephedrone itself the longer term effects are unknown as yet as this is a relatively new drug. What is known is that it can raise blood pressure, cause agitation, poor sleep, anxiety, weight loss and mood changes especially when used in high amounts. All these effects could potentially cause impotence/erectile dysfunction/loss of libido.

Both Methadone and Mephedrone can be detected in urine but only for a limited period of time.

The purity of Mephedrone has definitely reduced and has been found to be mixed with a lot of different substances.

When it comes to testing Mephedrone the police are obviously able to do this through their labs but I doubt if the police would check the substance out and if they did and it contained an illegal substance then it would be likely that you would be charged with possession.

If you are worried about having any of these symptoms you should consider approaching your GP for a physical check which will be conducted confidentially.

I’d also say if you are concerned about the group you are associating with or the purity of the substance that you really should consider whether it is worth the risk.

(I’m assuming you’re talking about Cocaine. If not then the answer is probably just bad for your teeth.)

A tricky one to answer as everyone’s definition of ‘bad’ is different. There are plenty of facts to show that Cocaine is harmful and perhaps by sharing these you can make your own mind up.

The way in which cocaine works on your body means that it can affect both your physical and mental health.

Cocaine is toxic to your heart and can lead to heart attacks, in fact it is thought to be one of the more common causes of heart attacks in the under 40`s.  Taken with Alcohol, Cocaine forms another drug called Cocaethylene which is highly toxic to your liver and heart and leads to an 18-25 fold increase in risk of sudden death. Really does make you think!

Cocaine can cause seizures, raise your blood pressure and increase risk of stroke.

In Pregnancy Cocaine use increases the risk of miscarriage. Babies born to mothers using Cocaine are often premature and have low birth weights.

Some of the effects of Cocaine use can include anxiety, panic attacks, depression, paranoia and have even been known to trigger a schizophrenic like illness. Snorting Cocaine can cause nosebleeds and in some cases the destruction of the lining of your nose.

The purity of the drug has reduced in recent years so you can never tell what other substances you`re ingesting if you take Cocaine. It has been found to be mixed with a variety of substances such as mouth ointments, treatments for tape worm, drugs to lower your blood pressure, and banned painkillers that are thought to cause cancers.

Cocaine use has been implicated in 16% of all drug related deaths and this appears to be a rising trend.

The person best placed to answer this question would perhaps be the GP who identified the irregular heartbeat in your daughter.

It really is impossible to say without conducting a physical examination and assessment as irregular heartbeat can be attributed to a number of causes.

As a fairly new drug, the long-term effects of mephedrone aren’t fully understood either which makes a diagnosis like this difficult. To complicate matters further, there is often other substances present in mephedrone which may cause long term complications.

I would certainly advise discussing this with your daughter and either asking her to discuss with her GP or go together to discuss your concerns as they may be able to look into this further for you.

Not been asked that before and actually it is not illegal to have cannabis seeds as there is no cannabis present in the seed itself. However, it is illegal to cultivate the seed and grow cannabis and this can lead to up to 14 years imprisonment if convicted.

It’s also important to consider that if you are found in possession of cannabis seeds the police are likely to search you and/or your premises.

It is illegal for you to take drugs because it is against the law.  This is like asking “why is it illegal to drive at 50mph in a 30mph zone?”.  The reasons are similar.  To reduce risk to the individual and others and to society in general.  Again there is an historical perspective to be considered when looking at questions like this.

...or at least be controlled in the sense that they
 aren’t altered to include pollutants?

It would be safer for drugs to be produced by respectable companies as this would mean that they are subject to regulation in regards to production, additives, toxicity etc.  This also depends on what you think of as a pollutant.  Look at tobacco and the number and scope of additives that contains.  However, it is probably fair to say that it is unlikely that a gram of coke bought at a Supermarket would include brick dust as it would probably be subject to the Medicines Act or equivalent.

Yes it would reduce the crime rate drastically across the world in relation to illicit drug manufacture, supply and consumption, but where there is demand for a substance and a profit to be made there will always be criminal elements involved.  For example look at counterfeit cigarettes and alcohol and tobacco and alcohol being smuggled in and out of countries as examples of legal drugs being traded illegally. 

It is your body, take what you want, but be aware that there is a risk of harm and that not all harm is reversible. You also need to consider the legal implications of taking drugs.

Liberty cap mushrooms are often called magic mushrooms because of their psychedelic effect, which means that they basically cause hallucinations or distort reality.  For some people this is positive and pleasing, for others it can be scary.  Generally they are easy to pick when in season and so free, another possible positive (unless you’re caught picking them, or preparing them, then they have a negative effect: criminal justice involvement).

As with all drugs any effect depends on how much is used, where it is used and who with, and the mindset of the person using.

The active ingredient in liberty caps is psilocybin and there is no way to measure the amount that each mushroom has.  Things like size, age and how they’ve been stored may all have an impact.  It is similar to LSD and generally doesn’t last as long in effect, so possibly another positive.

Low doses of mushrooms often produce feelings of relaxation and being chilled out, a bit giggly, with heightened sensations, so that colours might be more intense, music is better appreciated, touch is more sensitive.

At higher doses there is a more intense experience for the user, more similar to LSD.  Colours and light can become very vivid, vision becomes distorted, true hallucinations occur ie experiencing sensation in the absence of any stimulus.  Put simply: seeing/hearing/feeling/tasting things that aren’t there. There may also be an intense feeling of well being associated with heavy use but the flip side is that there may just as easily be an intense feeling of distress.

It’s vital not to confuse liberty caps with other mushrooms as the chances of misidentification are high and other mushrooms can be poisonous.  Obviously in these circumstances picking and eating at the same time would be a stupid thing to do!

Recent research suggests magic mushrooms might help in the development of antidepressants.  However, this does not mean that taking mushrooms is the same as taking an antidepressant.  As a matter of fact where there is any family history of mental health problems, or if you have underlying mental health problems the advice is stay away from psychedelics like liberty caps.

This is obviously a complex area and there are a number of reasons. Some drugs are legal and others are controlled because of the idea that some drugs are more harmful than others, and because of historical factors including socioeconomic considerations and the impact of war (eg Defence of the Realm Act WW1). Due to the complexity of this question this is perhaps an area we’ll explore in more detail on the site shortly.

Cannabis is a plant that grows widely all over the world.  Let’s look at the two main types usually found on the Isle of Man, resin and grass.  There are loads of other names for it that you’ve probably heard, including blow, draw, weed, rocky, skunk, etc.

Resin (hash) comes in a block form and looks a bit like a piece of brownish slate or rubber.  It can vary in colour from light brown to black and can be rock hard or even squidgy to the touch.  It has a distinctive smell, which is difficult to describe.  Resin is made from the sticky glands from the plant’s flower heads, which is pressed into a block.  It is not unusual for other parts of the plant such as leaves to be included and there have been stories of resin having stuff added to it to bulk it out such as dust or milk powder, or vegetable fat to help it stick together.  Remember, health and safety is not a priority for a drug dealer.

Grass is the dried buds and flowers of the plant and occasionally the leaves.  Most of the grass here tends to be ‘homegrown’, cultivated in cannabis farms in the UK.  This form of cannabis is usually stronger than resin, which means it has more of the active ingredient THC.  Over the years different strains of cannabis have been grown with different THC content, the most notorious is called ‘skunk’ because of its very strong and distinctive smell.

When we talk about cannabis farms we’re not talking about a couple of hippies in a sunlit field happily digging organic compost into their plants.  We’re talking about a multi million pound industry where plants are cultivated using chemical fertilisers, pesticides and fungicides, and where the bottom line is how much money is to be made.  There have been cases of crops being sprayed with fake snow to make the leaves look as if they’ve got THC on them and to increase their weight (and the profit).  Remember there is no such thing as health and safety!

Newer studies looking at the toxins from cannabis smoking compared to tobacco smoking, show that cannabis tar contains about 50% higher concentrations of chemicals linked to lung cancer, compared with tobacco tar.

Cannabis smoke, like all smoke still contains carcinogens. It’s the actual burning process that causes a lot of the toxins in smoke - the high burning temperature produces chemicals.

While there is conflicting evidence about the actual physical harm caused by cannabis use there is no doubt that tobacco causes a whole range of physical health problems.

One of the problems associated with mixing cannabis and tobacco is that there is often a change in the pattern of use of tobacco, which affects exposure to its harmful impact. For example people who smoke joints often hold the smoke in longer than they would for a cigarette in order to ‘absorb’ more of the cannabis/THC into their lungs.  This extra time in the lungs however allows the tar in tobacco and cannabis extra time to be deposited.  It might be only a few extra seconds, but if they are added up for every puff then that’s a lot of extra time for smoke to be in your lungs, allowing more exposure to harm.  Look at the filter in a used cigarette to see how tar accumulates, or if you use a bong or a tube in a bucket you’ll see how quickly tar builds up in that.

Studies have shown that smoking a cannabis cigarette deposits four times more tar in the lungs than smoking an equivalent amount of tobacco. People who smoke joints also tend to smoke cigarettes in a different way to non-cannabis using smokers.  They will often unconsciously hold cigarette smoke in their lungs in the same way that they hold in the smoke from a joint.  This is an unconscious habit that develops over time.  Check to see if it’s something you might be doing.

Two other points about cannabis smoke.  Smoke produced by herbal cannabis (grass) is considered to be thicker than tobacco smoke which might be more irritating to the throat and lungs, and cannabis resin burns at a higher temperature than tobacco, so the smoke hitting the back of your throat on inhalation is hotter than cigarette smoke.  Regular smokers don’t notice these things as they get used to them but that doesn’t mean that they will not affect you.

In short you could abbreviate this answer to all drugs can kill you.

Lets break this down:

Prescription drugs These are usually safe, if prescribed by your doctor and you follow the instructions of how to use the drugs. If you take more drugs than the doctor prescribed this is considered a drug overdose. Some people think that overdose only happens when taking street drugs, but this is not always the case.

Over the counter drugs Some of these drugs can be powerful and again you need to read the medication instructions carefully, before use, or talk to the pharmacist.

Legal drugs There is a whole range of legal drugs, which could be found in the home - OR - even more alarmingly, purchased over the Internet. This has increased over the last few years. These drugs are known as “legal highs”.  People purchasing these drugs do not know the deadly toxics they may contain. The drugs have not been tested or passed any regulations to be sold. People taking them are the guinea pigs as to the effects of the drugs. Sadly, there have been a number of people dying as a result of purchasing these unknown ‘legal drugs” despite lots of public warnings. However, laws are presently addressing how the selling of these substances can be stopped.

Alcohol You need to be aware that alcohol is a legal drug also and if abused may also lead to overdose and death.

Some of the reasons why people may die from the effects of drugs may be due to the physical and mental effects on their body, such as suppressed breathing, choking on their vomit, heart attack, over heating, brain damage, liver damage, accidents due to lack of coordination or by being totally out of it.

Thank you for taking time to ask the question.
Have a safe and merry Christmas
Tim x

Some people have reported that speed has a bitter taste; they have associated it with a chemical likeness. Please be aware that sometimes speed can be mixed with another drug or a bulking agent such as talc, baking powder etc that of course may affect the taste.

“i believe its class b in uk, but here is a grey area? Two people had parcels intercepted by police, tested, and returned on proviso it was not sold and only for personal use, just months ago, is this still the same situation i.e. could i get send 5grams and not get into trouble?”

The short answer is ‘yes’ you will get in to trouble if caught. Further more this could have implications on employment and travel to other countries if you get a drug conviction.

This drug is cathinone type stimulant, and as such is Class B in the UK (with the subsequent penalties that implies), and also a Class B on the Isle of Man because of the reciprocal agreement.
Even if it were legal there have been reports of it being bought from ‘reputable’ vendors online and then found to have illegal additives added (e.g. amphetamine).

If someone was caught in possession of any suspicious substance, they would be arrested, interviewed, the substance tested and a decision made as to the disposal.

As with any drug, caution is advised when taking it.

As with all drugs there are risks, which are heightened when taken as ‘cocktails’. Tripstacy is sold as a mix of LSD and Ecstasy and as with all drugs there are potential side effects, not to mention significant long-term effects. You really need to read about the drugs individually to find out more about the effects, why people take them and what the risks are.

Ecstasy
LSD

You also need to be aware of what you might actually be taking. Drugs sold as Tripstacy are often found to contain other substances, which may themselves be harmful to you, or even fatal. On a legal note, both LSD and Ecstasy are illegal on the Isle of Man and are class A drugs, so possession can result in imprisonment.

On whether it is fun or not is down to your own interpretation of what ‘fun’ is and the reaction you may have to taking the drug. Tripstacy can create intense and vivid hallucinations so users do need to be aware of what environment and in what company they take the drug.

LSD has a number of street names including Acid, Blotter, Cheer, Dots, Paper Mushrooms, Smilies, Tab, Trips.

Visit the LSD information page in our Drugs A-Z for more information.

Mephedrone belongs to the cathinone group of chemical drugs, closely related to the amphetamine class of drugs, which includes ecstasy (MDMA) and amphetamine (speed). For more information visit the information page on mephedrone here.

This is a difficult question to answer as it really will differ from person to person. It will be influenced by the individual, how long and how much they have been using. This can be more challenging where drug use is engrained into someone’s daily life.

Studies over the last decade have produced evidence for something called cannabis withdrawal syndrome.  The most common withdrawal symptoms are irritability, anxiety/nervousness, restlessness and sleep difficulties (including strange dreams), anger, and aggression.  Symptoms typically emerge after one to three days of abstinence, peak between days two and six, and last from four to 14 days.

The severity of withdrawal symptoms has been linked with difficulty achieving abstinence.  Identifying typical withdrawal symptoms and patterns in individuals can be an important step in preparing to stop cannabis use.  However it is important to note that not everyone who stops using cannabis will experience withdrawal symptoms, or if they do, there will be varying levels of severity.

The majority of people who try cannabis do not become dependent on it.  As with other drugs, the risk of developing dependence appears to be greatest amongst those with a history of frequent or daily cannabis use and those who initiate use early.

There are some great resources out there to help people looking to quit Cannabis. Assuming you’re a Manx resident, I would suggest you contact the local Confidential Drug Advice Service & Helpline (DASH) who run a specific service for Quitting Cannabis. They also provide a ‘Cannabis Check- up’ to assess your use. Call them on 615622 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

This must be very worrying and would ask if you have brought this up with your daughter? It would be impossible to determine if this is drugs or not from the description alone as many things come as a white powder. Even if this is drugs the actual contents would need to be analysed by a laboratory to confirm the identity.

I would strongly suggest you speak to your daughter about it or contact the local confidential Drug Advice Service & Helpline on 615622 who will be able to discuss it further with you. If you are not resident on the Isle of Man then a local drug support organisation will be able to offer you the support you need to deal with this in the best way for you and your daughter. There is a useful support finder tool on the Talk to Frank website to help you find a service in your area http://www.talktofrank.com/multimap.aspx?id=278

Many years ago Ecstasy tablets started to be sold with various logo’s on as a marketing strategy, this also included Teletubby pictures. There is no way to tell what a tablet actually contains unless it is subjected to laboratory testing. The purity of ecstasy tablets varies dramatically and whether it has a logo of the Teletubbies on or not, you cannot really be certain of what you are getting. For this reason there is as much risk as with any other ecstasy pill. In the news recently there have been reports of much higher strength ecstasy pills on the market, which can be extremely dangerous. See the news report on this here - http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/health/ecstasy_strength_warning_1_3646906

Just like many other drugs, continued use of Hash (Cannabis) can potentially result in a psychological or physical dependency. This can vary person to person on individual tolerances. It is also the most problematic illicit drug on the Isle of Man. For more information on Hash see the Cannabis section of our Drug A-Z.

Why when legal highs which have not killed anyone have they been banned, yet
 cigarettes that kill 120000 (uk) people a year are still legal & alcohol
 that directly kills 25000 annually are still encouraged and promoted as
socially acceptable?

Man, where do I start on this one!
I think the first thing to say is this is a huge topic. I can touch on the main points but there are pages and pages dedicated to the discussion on alcohol and tobacco.
Tobacco and alcohol are becoming more heavily taxed and regulated with tobacco legislation moving towards non-use. The historic use of these drugs is often cultural with strong ties that can be difficult to break.
Legal highs on the other hand are unknown and have no cultural or historic use. They have no ties to society and so the impact of making them illegal is likely to have an impact and protect the majority of the population.  There is also little knowledge of what the long-term effects of taking legal highs might be. It is perhaps too big a risk to leave finding this out to chance based on the knowledge of existing related classified drugs.
There are of course much deeper reasons why drugs are made illegal and perhaps beyond what I can answer here. What I would say is that with two already problematic legal drugs in Alcohol and Tobacco it would perhaps be irresponsible of the Government to allow any more.
As I said, this is a huge topic and one that evokes arguments from both sides but I hope the above points provide some insight.

Can taking mephedrone affect the performance of other medicines such as immunisations for holidays abroad?

Unlike prescribed medication which undergoes rigorous testing before it reaches the market there have been no clinical trials performed on mephedrone and its interaction with other drugs, such as immunisations.

Because of this we really do not know what the interactions might be.  It could increase the effects of certain medications or decrease their effects.  It may have no effect whatsoever.

However, as one of the possible side effects of mephedrone include raised temperature and we know the immune response to immunisation is reduced with fever, there is a chance that the immunisation effect could be reduced by taking mephedrone.
All I can really say is that with safety in mind it would be best to avoid taking mephedrone and other drugs, such as immunisations, at the same time or together.

See our Mephedrone Section of our A-Z for more information. 

Yes, Caffeine is a drug.

Drugs can be defined as “any substance that when absorbed into the body of a living organism alters the functioning of the body.”
Taking caffeine has the effect of speeding up chemical reactions in the body, speeding up the heart and breathing rates and getting more oxygen to the brain. As such, caffeine is considered both a drug and psychoactive substance.
Due to the effects of caffeine on the body, the International Olympic Committee have set an upper limit for the use of caffeine in competitive sports – caffeine was previously banned!
As a natural stimulant, caffeine is also used medicinally to treat headaches.

MDAI follows the trend of ‘legal highs’ and aims to fill the market left by Mephedrone, and more recently NRG-1 being made illegal. It carries the same risks though, and these emerging drugs haven’t been about long enough to understand what the long-term effects of using these substances might be.

It’s very much in the local news at the moment too with the death of a local teenager being attributed to the drug - http://www.energyfm.net/cms/news_story_150964.html.

MDAI is a drug that came from some pharmaceutical research in the US. The research was looking into treatments for medical conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder.

Just like ecstasy, MDAI has been derived from amphetimine (MDA). It’s meant to have a less profound effect than MDA and is meant to be less neurotoxic.

Don’t think it would be to everyone’s tastes, there’s no rushing/stimulation/euphoria like with other highs; it’s more of a therapeutic feeling,

I guess MDAI also carries the risk of users developing a psychological dependence on the drug. This was certainly the case for some people on Mephedrone and can lead to social and health problems even in the short term.

There are a number of things that can affect the time taken for Mephedrone to take effect including dose, personal tolerances, purity of Mephedrone used and method of use.

When snorting Mephedrone the effects tend to be experienced within minutes whereas this can be more like 30 minutes after swallowing.

For more information on Mephedrone and the effects of taking it check out the Mephedrone information page.

Great question and one that could involve a long and technical answer. But that wouldn’t be much use so I’ll keep it simple here but may produce a more detailed answer as part of the Mephedrone section of the site.

Basically Mephedrone, like other stimulant drugs, cause the body to create excess neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain that act as signals and can affect behaviour).  So when you take Mephedrone there are more ‘feel good’ chemicals produced in the brain. As these wear off and as the brain’s natural chemical release has been slowed it results in a come down.

This being said, Mephedrone is a relatively new drug and as such there is no real research into the effects, particularly into the long term effects of taking the drug. There are also increasing number of reports showing Mephedrone being cut with other substances. So the purity and effects from one batch of Mephedrone to another can vary dramatically.

If Mephedrone is swallowed it can cause irritation and possibly nausea. When snorted the ‘drip’ effect will irritate the throat so in the same way I’d suspect it may irritate the the stomach too. I have heard and read reports of people having stomach problems after taking Mephedrone.

Good question. I had to do my research on this one but with the screening kits used in the Isle of Man Mephedrone would not test positive for Cocaine.

Yes weed (see Cannabis) can hinder sports performance.There are a number of reported effects of using cannabis including affecting coordination, concentration, experiencing a state of relaxation not to mention some of the other side-effects such as paranoia, nausea etc.

It is also important to consider that Cannabis is illegal and is a prohibited substance in sports.

Yes it can. If a sample is sent to a lab Mephedrone can be detected.

Does it cause any false positives? Will it cause a positive for amphetamine?

Good question and yes Mephedrone can be detected in urine using current pathology lab tests. The test are specific to Mephedrone metabolites so are highly accurate.

Dip Stick testing does detect amphetamine, however, dip stick screening cards to detect Mephedrone have not been established yet. As yet I don’t know of any test for Mephedrone that has recorded positive for amphetamine but I guess this could come back to the purity of the substance.

its defo just the stooopid ones that take to much. how much did the peeps take that died from It

To be totally honest, it is my understanding that at this moment in time there have been no known deaths solely related to Mephedrone: any deaths that have occurred have been due to mixing Mephedrone with other substances or as a result of the depression on the come down rather than a direct physical reaction to the drug. However, it’s my experience that regular use, large quantities and injecting are more likely to cause severe and significant harm.

One other thing to be aware of is the purity of what is being taken. If there is no effect at all maybe it’s not Mephedrone. There are definitely more cocktails now and it’s not possible to test for many of the drugs people are saying they are taking.

Death from mixing Mephs with other substances is the most severe effect that Mephedrone use, or any drug for that matter, can result in. However, there are many symptoms of varying severity along the scale between your friends experience and those who have died. People also react to drugs very differently. A quantity that has no effect on one person could greatly affect another. There are no hard and fast rules here. The truth is nobody knows and that’s the risk anyone taking Mephedrone, or any emerging drugs, faces.

It is also too early to determine what if any, are the long term effects of using Mephedrone.

Like many drugs, Mephedrone is an addictive substance with many users reporting a psychological addiction to the drug. This appears to be particularly prevalent where additional supplies are to hand with the temptation to re-dose very strong.

The idea that you can’t get addicted to Mephedrone is wrong. Ask any of the scores of people who have attended the Drug Advice Services Helpline and Drug and Alcohol Team looking for help because they can’t cope without using it. Too much of their time is spent trying to find the drug and pay for it, because what started out as a bit of fun at the weekend is happening everyday.

People who get addicted to Mephedrone act in the same way that people who get addicted to cocaine or amphetamine (speed) do: this is because Mephedrone, amphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy are all stimulant drugs.

Making it illegal would hand the trade to organised crime, drive users to commit crime to pay the higher prices that would result, turn others back to existing illegal drugs and create a market for the next generation of ‘legal highs’.

As a ‘legal high’, a large number of Mephedrone users only use the drug because they are under the misunderstanding that because it is legal it is safe.

There is also a growing problem with students at Isle of Man schools being pressured into taking the drug, often by peers their own age. For kids as young as 11 and 12 to be introduced to a potentially addictive and dangerous substance as their first drug experience under the misapprehension of the substance being ‘safe’ and ‘legal’ is extremely dangerous. It’s this inexperience that can lead to excess, addiction and even death.

Many Mephedrone users would be deterred by simply making the drug illegal.

There is plenty of help available on the Island, whether it is for advice or for help with a psychological addiction. Visit our help and advice page for contact details of local support services.

You can also contact your local GP who will be able to offer help and advice.

Mephedrone is a stimulant drug and as such it releases a huge amount of the hormone adrenaline into the bloodstream, plus the chemicals in the brain called dopamine and serotonin.  These are neurotransmitters and are essential for the brain to work properly.

Too much adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin causes the user to feel energetic, high, more alert, a sense of wellbeing, excitement and chattiness, more interest in those around you, butterflies in the stomach, shaky hands, dilated pupils.  However what goes up must come down.

Because the body overproduces these chemicals when Mephedrone is in it, it has difficulty getting them back up to normal levels after use, which can cause low mood, irritability, agitation, and anxiety.

There are no prescribed medicines licensed to treat Mephedrone withdrawal.

For further help and advice contact your local GP or the services offered by the Drugs Advice Services Helpline or the Drug & Alcohol team.

There haven’t been any substantial scientific studies of users as yet but user experiences and case studies from doctors treating patients are revealing the risks of taking Mephedrone. The adverse effects are not always instantaneous and manifest over time such as the development of a psychological dependence.  What starts out as a 1g a weekend habit can quickly turn in to a 3g or 4g habit and excess use through re-dosing to maintain the high.

It’s important to remember that just because you know a lot of people that are doing it, this may not be a representative sample and you could react very differently to the drug.  The short-term or immediate effects of taking Mephedrone are only part of the concern with very little known at this stage what effect Mephedrone may have on users in the long-term.

Legal highs are not illegal to use because manufacturers and dealers have found a loophole in the law. By calling Mephedrone “plant food” they are claiming it is not for human consumption. This means that it does not have to go through the same types of testing that substances fit for human consumption have to.

However, due to the risks posed from taking Mephedrone it is now illegal on the Isle of Man to import or supply Mephedrone, regardless of whether you want it for your plants or not and Tynwald are working to make possession illegal as soon as possible.

It certainly isn’t recommended to mix Mephedrone with anything that will dehydrate you, alcohol included. Many of the side effects associated with Mephedrone are likely to be made considerably worse by the combination.

Short-term effects are the buzz and the high, feeling good and chatty.  Heart rate increases: a typical resting heart rate is about 70 beats per minute (bpm), but using Mephedrone can raise that up to 140 bpm so that sometimes you feel that it might burst out of your chest.  Vasoconstriction occurs: this is when blood vessels tighten and so blood pressure increases. This puts extra strain on the heart and on smaller blood vessels.

Mephedrone is corrosive, so if it is sniffed or snorted it can damage the lining of the nostrils. Users regularly report stinging sensation in the nose, nosebleeds and an unpleasant taste in the back of the throat (the drip) caused by a build up of Mephedrone infused mucus in the sinuses (spaces behind the nose).

Some users report paranoia when high.

Skin exposed to Mephedrone becomes inflamed and sensitive.  When Mephedrone is swallowed, usually wrapped in paper (bombed) or mixed in a drink it can lead to stomach upset and sores on the inside of the mouth.

It is unknown what the long term effects of Mephedrone are but if we assume that it is like other stimulants (and it is in its short term effects) then we can expect to see increased levels of anxiety and agitation, paranoia, and poor memory and concentration which makes learning difficult.

Mephedrone is marketed online as plant food to get around food laws and drug laws. The websites all state ‘Not for Human Consumption’ but this is purely a cover for the sale of the drug.

Mephedrone is a chemical substance being sold online as ‘plant food’. It’s status as a legal high lead to its popularity, largely due to the false assumption that if it is legal it must be safe. This is not the case and there are many incidents and case studies that reveal the serious potential effects of taking Mephedrone.

Chemical stimulants affect natural processes in the body and as a result deliver various effects, some positive, many not.

Chemical stimulants are not manufactured to known quality control standards and are often cut (bashed) with a number of substances to bulk them out.  Substances used to bulk out include talcum powder, vitamin c powder, caffeine powder, and paracetamol. Even cigarettes, which everyone knows are not healthy in the least, have to go through a quality control process.

Side effects of Mephedrone include paranoia, anxiety, jaw grinding, pupil dilation and an increased heart rate. Users have also reported blue or cold fingers from the drug’s effects on circulation, fits and agitation from its effects on the nervous system, vomiting and severe nosebleeds from snorting. Mephedrone has also been confirmed as being responsible for a number of deaths in the UK over recent months.

Since 1st April 2010 an amendment to the Medicines Act 2003 in the Isle of Man has made it illegal to import, export or supply Mephedrone. This has considerable implications for people purchasing quantities of Mephedrone from the Internet.

In the UK, the government has banned the import of Mephedrone and it will be controlled as a Class B drug on the 16th April 2010 along with other cathinone derivatives with Parliamentary agreement.

Mephedrone is not a plant food in any way shape or form.  It is sold as a plant food so that dealers and suppliers can use a loophole in the law to avoid prosecution.

Mephedrone belongs to the cathinone group of chemical drugs, closely related to the amphetamine class of drugs, which includes ecstasy (MDMA) and amphetamine (speed).

Mephedrone users most commonly snort the drug although it can also be swallowed or injected.