Woman dies after inhaling herb in Tokyo hotel

and nothing happened to him??!

"Herb" may be the slang term for these so-called loophole drugs, but they are clearly not herbs as the article would seem to imply. If anything, they are more often powerful synthetics adulterated with what may or may not be some herbal substance. To refer to them as "the herbs" only perpetuates the myth of their relative harmlessness.

Quite literally, killer bud.

well at least he called for help. i remember that Oshio guy who just fled the scene and didn't call 119. and that was no "hotel" in maruyamacho.

These drugs are just no good! Why do people do these stupid things?? RIP poor young lady

Bad stuff to be messing with. I always wondered why this crap kills only certain people. Anyone know?

They need better anti-smoking messages here, the more you put "herbs" and "bath salts" in with tobacco and plaster them next to photos of mouth and lung cancer, you'll see a huge drop in "herb" users. Most of these kids are doing it because it's barely legal and they think it's cool, so basically drive it into their heads that you'll end up looking like a melting wax figure and they won't want it anymore.

What herbs, which item on the loophole list?

basroil, LoL! Good idea! But it does remind me of that anti-drug commercial with the egg and the frying pan.

For crissaches, legalize pot already! At least it's not fatal.

Inhale? Yeah, if you inhale herbs without burning them of course it will kill you! How about "smoking" herbs?

However, whether her death is directly related to smoking the herbs or if it was related to another health condition will forever remain a secret. It is easier just to blame the herbs. It also doesn't state how much she 'smoked' or over what period of time. These synthetic pot substitutes are available all over the world, but I have never read about any other deaths directly attributed to their use. Are Japanese highly sensitive to them or are the j-cops and media making up porky pies to discourage their use?

Are Japanese highly sensitive to them or are the j-cops and media making up porky pies to discourage their use?

My guess is Japan needed an impetus to close the so-called loop-hole that keeps this stuff legal and this may be the case they use to do it. Hard to believe the legal stuff is more deadly than the illegal stuff but oh well, this is Asia and the law is what it is.

Legalize marijuana and people won't resort to experimentation with unknown herbs....

Its not good stuff but did she have a heart problem or any other condition that would have caused a problem. Need to know if she was healthy to begin with. Cant just blame the herb without full details.

This whole story depends on the word of the guy.

I hope they figure out exactly which ingredient caused her death and then they nail either him or the seller of this particular "Dappou" mix.

I hope they figure out exactly which ingredient caused her death and then they nail either him or the seller of this particular "Dappou" mix.

If it's a loophole drug how do you suggest they 'nail' this guy?

and nothing happened to him??!

Obviously not if he was able to call the ambulance...

They need better anti-smoking messages here, the more you put "herbs" and "bath salts" in with tobacco and plaster them next to photos of mouth and lung cancer, you'll see a huge drop in "herb" users. Most of these kids are doing it because it's barely legal and they think it's cool, so basically drive it into their heads that you'll end up looking like a melting wax figure and they won't want it anymore.

Not barely legal. Legal.

The answer is to legalize cannabis, which is safe.

as far as i'm concern, herbs are for cooking! :-)

2020hindsights: If it's a loophole drug how do you suggest they 'nail' this guy?

My suspicions (unfounded but the possibility needs to be addressed) are that he may have wanted to get rid of her for some reason. Get her drunk, get her high, ply her with Rohypnol, etc., have his way with her, then wait until 6:00 am before he reports she is unconscious?...

I was just expressing my that if the guy is guilty of any of the above that they nail him.

You can still murder someone with legal drugs, bath salts, etc.

Oops, "expressing my HOPE that"

(JT's underline function simply took the word 'hope' out...aaarrrggghh)

The answer is to legalize cannabis, which is safe.

Not disagreeing with you about the first part. I agree - it should be at least decriminalized.

But as for it being safe, it has been proven to be 20 times more carcinogenic than nicotine. But of course it won't kill you quickly like this nasty, artificial stuff does.

Zen student. Check your facts, hemp oil is a well known cure for cancer.

The herb that they're talking about here isn't weed but synthetic marijuana I think. It's more potent than weed and the chemical composition of the stuff depends from brand to brand. I wouldn't touch that stuff with a 10-ft pole. I'm pretty sure it will f- you up.

hhmmmm...weed is illegal but dangerous substances are not.....hhhmmmm....

PenfoldNov. 12, 2012 - 06:56PM JST

Zen student. Check your facts, hemp oil is a well known cure for cancer.

So is snake oil...

Last time i tried legal stuff it was a trip to remember, in a really scary way. Couldn't wait for it to end, but had to ride it out, obviously.. I won't touch it anymore with a ten-foot pole. Friggin' nasty, among the top three sellers in the store. Legalize pot, please!!

designer drug aka bath salts...herbs laced with synthetics...k2, spice etc

Its sad how Japan's narcotics laws view marijuana as worse than cocaine so that people actually have to opt towards loophole drugs. I mean come on! Weed grows from the earth and its compared worse to drugs that are blended with chemicals?! ridiculous.

This problem would not occur if it were the real deal. Plain old mary jane is next to harmless. Although im not sure if I would want to see it legalized... in saying that, if access to the real deal wasn't as hard as it currently is in japan. These problems would stop dead in their tracks.

At Jessebaybay. Its known as anaphylactic shock. It can happen to anyone if they have a severe allergic reaction to ANYTHING that they're body refuses to work with. Including peanuts, MJ, insect bites/stings, even good old fashioned Aspirin or tylenol and the list is infinite.

This girl obviously didn't know if she had any allergies with that plant and lost her life for it. Best to test only a very very small amount to see if anything starts having a negative reaction.

These pro cannabis users always forget the fact that the uses from the cannabis plant are almost, if never, in the same form as the stuff smoked or eaten. Lithium is extraordinary for depression but I would put a lump of it in my mouth, carbon is great for marking paper but I wont try to write with diamonds.

This stuff is bad - mainly because it doesn't have a consistant effect on different users. To quote one Sherriff's Department Investigator in the States"

“Two 13 year-old kids light this stuff up for the first time, one of them might be able to go to school and function fine the other one is laying unconscious on the bathroom floor... ...We’ve had people with seizures; we’ve had people with sweats, convulsions. It’s almost like a methamphetamine effect on people."

This ISN'T like pot.

@Herve Nmn L'EisaNov. 12, 2012 - 04:27PM JST

"For crissaches, legalize pot already! At least it's not fatal."

It would be against japanese tradition.... if people do not want to follow the wisdom of the rulers installed by the gods, then they deserve to die! Japan always knows better....

Bill Clinton was right. Don't inhale.

Herbs? kinda like k2 or spice? never knew it could kill but itll definitly give you a crazy trip

Supermonk, like most what Bill Clinton said, it depends on what your definition of "is" is. You really believe he didn't inhale, because he said so?. Ha, ha, ha!

No longer a loophole if it kills you.

Basroil They need better anti-smoking messages here, the more you put "herbs" and "bath salts" in with tobacco and plaster them next to photos of mouth and lung cancer, you'll see a huge drop in "herb" users. Most of these kids are doing it because it's barely legal and they think it's cool, so basically drive it into their heads that you'll end up looking like a melting wax figure and they won't want it anymore.

Not sure it will eliminate this. People like to get high. Was ever thus.

It affects some people same as some people are allergic to medicines

Zen student. Check your facts, hemp oil is a well known cure for cancer.

Penfold, if you really believe that hemp oil (or any substance for that matter) is a known cure for cancer, you're the one who would benefit from some fact checking.

It would be against japanese tradition.... if people do not want to follow the wisdom of the rulers installed by the gods, then they deserve to die! Japan always knows better....

Cannabis had been an integral part of Japanese culture since the beginnings of its history. Cannabis was a sacred herb to the religion of Shinto, and was also used and praised by ancient Zen poets and Buddhist monks.

Cannabis culture was suppressed and banned by US occupying forces after World War II, and today most Japanese and visiting Gaijin don't realize that "marijuana" is the same plant as cannabis, which was once as much a part of Japanese culture as rice.

But as for it being safe, it has been proven to be 20 times more carcinogenic than nicotine. But of course it won't kill you quickly like this nasty, artificial stuff does.

This is absolutely not true. In fact, scientists have not been able to isolate lung cancer in those who only smoke marijuana as it is often concurrently used by tobacco smokers. Doubly in fact, the chemicals in marijuana have been proving to, ironically, provide promise in the fight against cancer: "Mounting evidence shows ‘cannabinoids’ in marijuana slow cancer growth, inhibit formation of new blood cells that feed a tumor, and help manage pain, fatigue, nausea, and other side effects." DailyBeast Sept. 6/2012

bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aLRKiCeoXoRQ This one shows that cannabinoids fight tumors in mice. (add w w w)

I highly suggest that people recognize the world is nuts on the subject of drugs and that anybody legally trying to stop an adult from ingesting anything by law or force is mad for power.

Sioux Chef:

Please check the links I've provided above. While it is not "hemp oil" that can help fight cancer, the fact is that cannabinoids are showing a lot of promise in the fight against cancer.

Its probably not unlike most things we enjoy, as long as its done in moderation , unfortunately like most things we enjoy more is better and usually not enough...

A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be an important risk factor, where early use is a marker of increased vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or reflects an attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence.

Thank god I never got into drugs... There are MANY more ways to get a 'high' than smoking a legal or banned narcotic.

RIP young lady... I seriously doubt you will be the last.

This is just one of many reasons marijuana should be legalized. If marijuana were legal, people wouldn't resort to dangerous synthetic chemicals in order to attempt to get the same feeling marijuana gives you. Marijuana is all natural & actually has valid medicinal uses. In fact, it was legal in Japan until, I believe, the military presence put pressure to make it illegal due to military members being able to easily obtain it. The same goes for psilocybin (mushrooms). Military members were going out & getting high on them & the military was having a hard time testing for them, so, I believe, they convinced the Japanese government that they are harmful. Yet, some Native American tribes have been doing mushrooms for generations for spiritual use.

Please check the links I've provided above. While it is not "hemp oil" that can help fight cancer, the fact is that cannabinoids are showing a lot of promise in the fight against cancer.

It doesn't fight anything except normal metabolism. It slows the whole body. You move slower, you think slower, and therefore you react slower.

Penfold's comment was pure fantasy. There is no "well known cure for cancer" except for surgical removal - and even THEN it's only successful as a "cure" if they get the cancer removed before it metastasizes.

These synthetic pseudo herbs are poison...Legalize marijuana,it's less harmful than alcohol and causes far fewer social problems. Marijuana is being grown indoors and outdoors by millions of people in all countries anyway,the use will not be stopped via laws law enforcement. I don't know what the public opinion in japan is regarding personal use of pot,but in the US over 50 percent of the population favors legalization or at the very least decriminalization of marijuana use,

Fadamor:

It doesn't fight anything except normal metabolism. It slows the whole body. You move slower, you think slower, and therefore you react slower.

Citation, please.

Yeah right, legalize Marijuana in Japan?? Are you MAD? Japan would collapse. haaha I can picture it. As far as 'HERB' as they call it, its just a name they gave it to deny there is a drug problem in Japan and rising. Hopefully she is a good example for others not to think you can do just about anything you want without consequences. People die from inhaling Tobacco as well, I would like to see more reforms on that issue.

There is a UCLA Cardio Pulmonary specialist (Dr. Donald Tashkin) who did a study of people who smoked pot, smoked pot and cigarettes, smoked only cigarettes, and did not smoke.

Turned out, the people who smoked pot and cigarettes had the same rate of cancer as those who didn't smoke anything. He argued that the pot had a protective effect on the lungs and noted that the bronchial tubes opened up rather than contracting, which happens with cigarettes.

More work needs to be done to prove pot's safety, but there has never been a case of a pot overdose or death. That alone seems to be a testament to its safety. There are overdoses reported all the time with over the counter medication (e.g., aspirin) and very common items, even caffeine or water. That said, there are reportedly increased cases of childhood schizophrenia associated with pot, but the connection has not been direct or proven. That risk doesn't apply to adults.

Zen studentNOV. 12, 2012 - 06:37PM JST

The answer is to legalize cannabis, which is safe.

Not disagreeing with you about the first part. I agree - it should be at least decriminalized.

But as for it being safe, it has been proven to be 20 times more carcinogenic than nicotine. But of course it won't kill >you quickly like this nasty, artificial stuff does.

There is more tar too, have a search for Dr. Donald Tashkin on Youtube and then consider your statement. Cigarettes also are more finely ground and filtered resulting in more small particles entering and staying in your lungs. The pH is also altered so the smoke isn't as harsh as it would be in the natural form. As a result, your lungs don't provide feedback on how damaging the smoke is.

30,000 suicides a year is way more than the few deaths from drugs. I am curious how this article says "inhale" and not smoking... I believe this herbs are meant for smoking. Darwin award for this one...