The Welsh Emerging Drugs & Identification of Novel Substances (WEDINOS) project has released an alert concerning the synthetic cannabinoid MMB-CHMINACA which has been implicated in six deaths and several non-fatal intoxications across Europe since September 2014.

The alert comes in the wake of a young Welsh man being hospitalized last month for nausea, dizziness, chest pains and convulsions after he had smoked a joint later found to contain MMB-CHMINACA.

Though there is currently limited information on the psychological and physiological effects of this synthetic cannabinoid, WEDINOS has received reports that it is causing auditory hallucinations, paranoia, an irregular heartbeat and panic attacks, among other problems. To date, WEDINOS has identified MMB-CHMINACA in three branded products in the UK:

Sweet Leaf Obliteration

SKYHIGH

Vertex Pirate Edition

Of the six deaths in Europe so far associated with MMB-CHMINACA, two came in Germany in April, while the other four occurred in Sweden last December.

WEDINOS is urging people to seek immediate medical attention if they suffer adverse effects after consuming a substance, and that a sample of the substance in question is sent to the project for analysis. For further details visit www.wedinos.org or contact admin@wedinos.org or phone 02920 402523.