Oz Synthetic cannabis drug kingpin David Piccinato jailed

Drug kingpin David Piccinato used adult shops as a front for a deadly synthetic cannabis syndicate. Two men died and 35 people were hospitalized after consuming the substances. Piccinato and co-accused Ross McGlone sold the drugs under the guise of "tea", and when they became aware of the dangers of the product they had it watered down and re-packaged. The court heard the scheme turned over about $350,000 from adult shops in a four-month period. The synthetic cannabis was sold in 1-gram bags, with packs of 10 1g bags selling for up to $120.

At the time Piccinato operated five adult stores across Queensland. Piccinato sprayed the green, leafy substance with synthetic chemicals. The men knew there were serious consequences to exposure because they wore masks, goggles, and gloves. One employee suffered headaches and a rash. Workers at the sex shops were threatened after expressing concerns about the drugs. Piccinato has been jailed for six years.