'Legal high' products a growing concern

The sale of a mixture of dried plant material and other substances that have hallucinatory and potentially harmful effects is proliferating nationwide, with vendors exploiting a legal loophole to avoid crackdowns. The substances have effects similar to those of cannabis and other drugs restricted by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, but their chemical makeup is slightly different. Vendors argue the substances are therefore legal, but authorities say this is a ploy to get around the law. Vendors also say the products are meant not for ingestion but for use as incense. The substances in question can potentially cause mental illness, and police fear young people may be tempted to experiment with them. (Yomiuri)