THERE’S A POPULAR “NEW” DRUG KIDS ARE BUYING AT HOME DEPOT, HERE’S WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW

The latest easily accessible item being used by kids for drug purposes can be found at your local home improvement store. In fact, you would never have guessed that it could be in your garage or garden shed right now. Although they may seem harmless, the side effects can be extremely dangerous when ingested.

Teens now are seeking thrills from flower seeds. Specifically, Sleepy Grass, Hawaiian Baby Woodrose and Heavenly Blue Morning Glory. That’s because they contain d-lysergic acid amide (LSA), which is almost identical to LSD. People are consuming these seeds because they can induce hallucinations, cause psychosis and distortion. However, they also can lead to nausea and vomiting.

Jim Miller, senior vice president for science and conservation at the Missouri Botanical Garden, told TODAY that using plant seeds to attain a high isn’t anything new. But it is very dangerous.

“In the ’60s, Carlos Castaneda wrote about exploring hallucinogenic plants and morning glory is one of the ones he spoke about. … They are very dangerous. The compounds that are hallucinogenic are also very toxic.”

Last year, numerous students fell gravely ill in Massachusetts after ingesting flower seeds. A handful of students from Durfee High School attending a junior prom had consumed flower seeds and became ill. Other students became sick at a private party, and three took seeds to school and were sickened there. One of the local Home Depots even agreed to pull the seeds from their store because of the incidents.

Durfee High School Superintendent Jeff Schoonover and Somerset Police Chief George McNeil noted that relying on plant seeds to attain a hallucinogenic high date back to the Native Americans. Although it’s nothing new, it’s still downright scary for parents–especially with how easily accessible the seeds are.

Almost every garden center across the country sells these three seeds at less than $2 per packet. Lillian Neuman, who has worked as a drug counselor for more than 20 years and specializes in teen addiction, told CBS News New York that kids will “do anything to get high.”

“These kids have to know that this stuff is dangerous, but they don’t want to hear that.”

The seeds can be chewed, inhaled or made into a tea. Doctors say it would take hundreds of the seeds to hit a high, but ingesting that many also could make a person incredibly sick. They also warn parents that the seeds can become much more dangerous when mixed with medications such as anti-depressants – and may lead to side-effects such as delirium, fast heart rate, high blood pressure, and more.
Here is a video with more information about this latest craze.