Market Town : Legal highs & lows

‘M’ 33, pictured at home.

“My mates were big into tobacco when I was 12, 13 so I messed about with that. Used to make me cough, splutter. Then I heard about things like cannabis. Up until high school I didn’t really try experimenting with anything but then I tried. There’s nothing else to do around here it’s so boring.”

Vaporizer.

 “The first time I tried cannabis I was around 15 and with mates and I didn’t like it much at the time. I was more into alcohol, super strength lagers. A mate introduced me to cannabis though and I didn’t really like the time lapses or the way the effect kind of creeps up on you. You’re walking around then you feel like you’re in a different world or time zone. You don’t really feel in the same place then you have these time lapses where you sort of forget you’ve even walked into a room.”

“I’m not a big user in any way. I sort of go through phases. I went through a phase where I was really against it. When I first had a diagnosis for my mental health problems I sort of cut down, would rarely drink. When my girlfriend left me I had my first experience with mental health. I was about 17. I thought the world of her and it really affected me. I got into some trouble afterwards and I got very stressed, depressed. It was like a trauma. I was seeing things, having psychotic episodes so I was then put on medications for that. 

I was working at a butchers but I was bullied there. I ended up losing the job. I was in constant fear, panicky, like I was seeing a ghost, feeling like I was seeing a ghost but there was nothing there. Paranoia, very paranoid fear feeling. I did not want to go out. When I’d go to the shops I’d put a brave face on. Really horrible panic attacks. 

I had to go to court a few times and my anxiety just raised and raised. After all that was finished I was sent on a kind of a Re-start course, everyone there pretty much was an alcoholic. At lunch they would sneak off to the pub for a load of drinks.

The government could do more to help me get out the house, find me activities to keep me active and away from drugs.

I think they are not doing enough for me. There’s supposed to be millions of people like me all on the scrapheap with mental health issues and they treat us all like little kids.”

Benzo Fury 5apb synthetic amphetamine substitute.

“What I’m searching for I think is something to make me happy, give me a lift. That’s why I experiment with these legal highs. The last psychotic incident I had was before christmas. I’d tried to quit my medication, cut down as I was feeling I was getting better at the time and that whole summer I was perfect so I cut down little by little then when I got to zero medication all my paranoid feelings came back again.

The recreational legal highs I take are a choice but I think the other drugs, my medication, well that’s been forced on me in a way and was not my choice and I don’t like that. I’d probably have a different relationship with these legal highs if I was being forced to take them.”

Etizolam. A benzodiazepine like drug.

Synthetic cannabinoid containing AM 1220. Called ‘Herbal Incense’ to bypass laws prohibiting the advertising of smoking herbal incense ingredients and mixtures that have not been approved by the relevant authorities. Synthetic cananbis is derived of natural herbs sprayed with chemicals that, when consumed, allegedly mimic the effects of cannabis.

“I can use this with my Vaporizer. I’ve tried it. I think what it did was effect my balance, sensation of gravity. This bag was about £20. Sometimes I think these products are a bit over the top because they are un-regulated and they are expensive. AM-2201, I think a mate was getting a bit addicted to it. I’ve read reports that it may be addictive. 

I do about a days research before I buy anything. You can find all sorts out. Wikipedia, other websites. On the drugs report forums you can find information out too. You can find out how to make anything on these forums, synthesize anything. Heroin, M.D.M.A, Crystal Meth. Years ago it would have been impossible to get access to all this sort of information, not anymore. I wouldn’t mind finding out how to do some of these things but then again I’d probably get myself into trouble. Just taking the stuff could kill you. It’s interesting though but I’d rather try things that were natural. I’d quite like to become an ethnobotanist.”

The Silk Road.

 

‘M’ showed me the Tor Project. Tor bounces communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world. In doing so it prevents somebody watching an Internet connection and learning what sites have been visited and also prevents the sites visited from learning a users physical location.

A number of websites and servers have sprung up based around the opportunities of anonymity. These servers are the true black market of the internet. There you can find almost anything you want, if you have the desire and the right contacts. This is part of the Dark Web, as it’s not trolled by the many web spiders of the various search companies, and not listed on any of their associated indexes.

“This ecommerce site is called ‘Silk road. I’ve never bought anything from it and probably won’t. You can buy things using Bit Coins which are annonymous too. Here’s the menu of all the stuff you can get, all types of drugs, research drugs, legal and illegal drugs, even guns. You can search for cannabis & look for just that if you want.”

“Someone told me about annonymous networking and the ‘Dark Web’. It’s like the underground of the internet. What it means is no one knows I’m doing this at the moment, no one knows at all and you can buy all these different things ‘Blue Cheese Kush’ that’s a strong cannabis, ‘Morroccan Pollen’ that’s the stronger stuff as well ‘Thai Stick’ you can search around and you can find the cheapest deal. I can buy all the legal highs that I use via the web using a regular browser legally.”

Searching and researching on-line.

“A Bit Coin is worth about, well I got mine for about $4 each. You buy the stuff you want with Bit Coins then get it through the mail sent to a P.O Box. It’s quite scary really, you can buy stuff from all over the world.” 

Home made bottle bong and currently legal herbal incense.

Even among users, opinion is divided as to the validity of comparing herbal incense with cannabis with some claiming it is identical to cannabis and others claiming it is a different beast altogether.

Some of the similar side effects of smoking herbal incense and smoking marijuana which are documented include : feelings of euphoria, increased appetite, lethargy, red eye, heavy limbs, paranoia.

Where synthetic cannabinoids greatly differ from cannabis is in how often users experience negative effects. Many record how, after smoking herbal incense they have experienced : heart palpitations, vomiting, dizziness, fainting, intense fear of death, irrational behavior, panic attacks, and psychosis.

“I think most drugs should be legalised as long we have education about the dangers.”

“I love rave music and attempt to make it. I dunno if I’m any good at it or not maybe I need to practice it more. The problem is I find today’s dance music very boring these days. Maybe I’m the one to save dance music in the 21st century and come up with a new next big thing!. That’s what I dream about really.

The reason I do legal highs is to cure my boredom really. To make me forget my mental pains and make my time pass by but I think now it’s all a waste of time and I could do more with my life. My talent is in art but I get bored of it easily.

I feel lonely. All my friends have moved on, got jobs, mortgages and kids but in a positive way I don’t have to worry about paying the bills or put up with noisy kids.

The last psychotic incident I had was before christmas. I’d tried to quit my medication, cut down as I was feeling I was getting better at the time and that whole summer I was perfect so I cut down little by little then when I got to zero medication all my paranoid feelings came back again. I’d read so many reports online about anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medication that were really negative.

The recreational legal highs I take are a choice but I think the other drugs; my medication; well, that’s been forced on me in a way and was not my choice. I don’t like that. I think my medication is an easy option for doctors and I’d probably be better off with talk therapy and find a safe way to come off them. I hope.“

For information regarding drugs both prescribed, legal and illegal visit : Addiction blog

For help with mental health issues and depression visit : Mind and Samaritans