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Old hallucinogen popular again in Canada


Published: March 12, 2008 at 4:23 PM
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12 (UPI) -- A hallucinogenic drug widely illegal except in Canada is making a resurgence in British Columbia, where police say it's being made and sold unhindered.

The drug known on the street as Foxy contains chemicals similar to psilocybin, which is found in so-called magic mushrooms, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Scott Rintoul of the Drug and Organized Crime Awareness Section told reporters.

Sold either as a powder or in small tablets, the drug creates a sense of euphoria and lessens users' inhibitions, the Vancouver Province reported Wednesday.

"It is not a new drug, but the concern we have right now is that we are starting to see Foxy make its way into the mainstream," Rintoul said. "We suspect it is being made here in B.C. because it is not illegal to possess it."

Australia, Britain, New Zealand and the United States are among the countries that ban the drug, the report said. Rintoul said among the drug's effects is a lowering of inhibitions and heightened risk-taking, which he said made prime targets for some criminals.

"A sexual predator who sees a person take Foxy may take advantage of the person," he said.

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