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Customs makes SPICE bust at post office

A female in her early to mid-20s was busted at the post office last Tuesday after she came in to claim a parcel that was later discovered to contain two bags of SPICE, or synthetic marijuana.

 

Samoa News understands that the drugs were discovered during a routine inspection by Customs agents at the post office.

 

The female, a resident of Fagatogo, was taken into custody by the DPS Vice and Narcotics Unit that same day.

 

Upon interrogation, the female continuously denied having any knowledge of the package, although Samoa News understands that her boyfriend has since admitted that the parcel was meant for him.

 

Spice or Synthetic Marijuana is a mixture of herbs and spices that are typically sprayed with a synthetic compound chemically similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredients in marijuana. Police Commissioner William Haleck, in an earlier interview with Samoa News, said he does not condone marijuana; however, there is a big difference between Spice or Synthetic Marijuana and regular marijuana — and Spice is much more dangerous, considering the chemicals which are added to it.

 

The contents that police recovered from last week’s bust have since been mailed off to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for further analysis.

 

Haleck told Samoa News that Spice has psychological effects similar to marijuana including paranoia, panic attack, and giddiness and also it can increase the heart rate and blood pressure.  He said it appears to be stored in the body for a lengthy period of time, which is why the long term effects on humans are not fully known.

 

Other names for this drug are Bliss, Black Mamba, Bombay Blue, Fake Weed, Genie and Sohai and it is typically sold in small silvery plastic bags of dried leaves and marketed as incense that can be smoked. It is said to resemble potpourri. The synthetic marijuana is usually smoked in joints and pipes, but some users make it into a tea.

 

Spice is illegal in the United States as well as American Samoa, as the drug contains THC, which is also found in marijuana, an illegal substance.

 

Samoa News understands that last week’s incident was the first bust for SPICE at the post office.

 

Last month, a student was caught selling Spice joints on the campus of a local high school. Another SPICE case involves a Port Administration employee who was serving 90 days in jail (since Oct. 2013 for felony driving) and was out on the work release program, but was allegedly caught trying to smuggle marijuana joints into the TCF on New Year’s Eve.