Police: Be on the Lookout for Potent ‘Shatter’ Drug Use Trend

Karen Goff April 20, 2016 at 2:45pm

Fairfax County Police detectives said they are seeing a new trend in area drug consumption involving highly concentrated marijuana resin boiled into various forms of hash or hash oil.

Some of the common street names: BHO (Butane Honey Oil), Wax or Earwax, dab or dabs, budder/butter, crumble, honeycomb, pull, snap, 710 (OIL upside down) and Shatter.

Police are urging residents to be particularly wary of Shatter, a “hard form marijuana derivative and has an extremely high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content.”

Says the FCPD:

THC is the active chemical compound in the cannabis plant. Marijuana derivatives can range from 40 to 80 percent THC concentration levels. Non-concentrated THC levels are typically 20 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drugs of Abuse 2015 edition Resource Guide.

Common reported side effects of this highly concentrated compound include hallucinations, confusion, panic attacks and even violent behavior.

Shatter and other marijuana derivatives can be inhaled through e-cigarettes and vaporizers (commonly referred to as “vape” or “vaping”). These electronic smoking devices often make the substance virtually smokeless and odorless; a big change from the common perception of big smoke clouds and distinct odor of burning marijuana.

Another big change: these drugs are available by mail.

“The days of meeting your local supplier on the street corner have been replaced by ordering illegal drugs online and anxiously waiting for the package to arrive in the mail,” say FCPD detectives.

If you have teenaged or college-aged children, talk to them about the dangers and risks of drug use, FCPD officers said. Be aware of newer methods of buying and receiving drugs and keep an eye out for the following behavior:

Monitor the mail; Does your son or daughter seem anxious for it to arrive on a particular day or week?
Monitor your son or daughter’s Internet and phone communication
Look for signs and symptoms of drug intoxication
Research trending drugs and related information
Report any suspected involvement or activity to police
Talk to a School Resource Officer (SRO) and/or encourage your high school-aged kids to talk to an SRO about drug abuse or trending drugs and related activity

Photo: Shatter/Credit: FCPD