‘Legal high’ banned

A SYNTHETIC drug named after reggae icon Bob Marley will be banned in Victoria after it put five people into intensive care.

Marley, designed to mimic the effects of cannabis, will be banned from Tuesday, with those caught trafficking it facing up to 15 years in jail.

Anyone caught possessing the synthetic drug faces up to one year in jail under laws unveiled by the state govern- ment yesterday. Retailers, including shop staff, also face stiff criminal penalties if they don’t know exactly what they are selling.

The crackdown comes after five people were hospitalised in intensive care during the past week after smoking the ‘‘legal high’’ substance.

Their symptoms included loss of consciousness, seizures and agitation, as well as difficulty breathing.