Seagulls along the British seaside are swooping down and stealing drug users’ stashes, Metro reported Sunday.
According to multiple reports, incidents of seagulls snatching drug stashes from users have been documented in various locations around the United Kingdom, reported the Daily Star. The seagulls are specifically targeting synthetic marijuana, also known as “spice,” Metro reported.
🗞 Psycho seagulls getting high on zombie drug after nicking addicts’ stashes 🗞@TheSimonEvans, @nickdixoncomic and @joshxhowie discuss the Daily Star’s story.
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— GB News (@GBNEWS) May 23, 2023
Spice, among humans, can induce a range of effects, including euphoria, talkativeness, paranoia, nausea, and mood swings. In some extreme cases, the drug’s sedative properties are so potent that users have even been compared to zombies. (RELATED: Florida Motorist Stops For Turtle, Causes Semi To Crash In Multi-Car Pileup)
“A seagull and spice is not a good combo. It turns them into psycho gulls,” a former spice user identified only as Azad told Metro. British locals reported a seagull went into a frenzy after snatching someone’s drug supply. The seagull aggressively dive-bombed pedestrians before eventually succumbing to the effects of the drug and collapsing on the pavement, per the outlet.
Despite the repeated incidents, little is known about how these substances impact gulls’ behavior.
“Gulls will go for anything. They used to come up behind us and grab whatever we had,” former spice user Kevin Robertson told Metro. “If we were stoned and completely unaware, the gulls could just take the joint we were smoking and fly off.”
Spice is intended to mimic THC, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Synthetic cannabinoids are created in a lab and have a different chemical structure than plant-based THC from a cannabis plant, according to the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports.