EXCLUSIVE: Warning over ‘explosive potential’ of new drug Shatter’
Police have issued a warning over cannabis-based drug ‘Shatter’, with its creation having the potential to cause an explosion.
Downtown Radio/Cool Fm can exclusively reveal there are particular concerns over the way it is produced.
DCI David Henderson from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Unit, explained how it is manufactured.
“It’s made using liquid butane gas and cannabis oil,” he said.
“That’s used to extract the THCs from the cannabis, in a pressurised system and then the extract is heated, to purge the chemicals from the actual product itself.”
It’s believed the production technique has been copy-catted from examples in America, with a pressure cooker being used.
However, the volatile nature of that has led to several explosions and fatalities already.
“Butane gas as a substance is highly volatile and highly flammable,” said DCI Henderson.
“Putting it under pressure and heating it causes it to become even more so.
“This result in it being extremely reactive, even static electricity in a room could cause an explosion.
“The explosion could be so severe, it could even cause a whole house to blow up and debris to be flying all over the street.”
That potentially deadly scenario would also cause further difficulties for emergency services trying to deal with the aftermath.
“Going to these scenes, where there would still probably be gas in the air, is highly dangerous for ourselves as well our partners in the fire and ambulance services, as well as the public,” DCI Henderson said.
So far, reports of the drug in circulation have been fairly low, although sources indicate the equipment used to manufacture it have been discovered in one location in the Greater Belfast area