The drug - which resembles the harmless bath additive - has been linked to a case in late May where a Florida attacker chewed off part of a man's face.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced she is fast-tracking the process to ban MDPV - a synthetic substance that has been around since the 1960s but is now being mixed to make what is known as bath salts.
"Let's be clear. These are not typical household bath salts. They are not the Epsom salts or the scented crystals that you find in many Canadian homes and pharmacies," Aglukkaq told reporters.
"These are drugs, serious drugs."
The drug comes in a powder form and can be snorted, ingested, pressed into a pill, put into a capsule, inhaled, smoked, mixed with water and used as eye drops and nasal spray, Brookwell said.
Symptoms include foaming at the mouth, breathing rapidly, rapid heart rate, overheating of the body, resisting treatment, incoherent speech, combativeness, hallucinations, anxiety and paranoia, and muscle pain, he said, adding the drug mimics the effects of stimulants like ecstasy and methamphetamine.
It's typically sold as herbal treatment, incense, plant food, fertilizer, insect repellent, pond cleaner, even vacuum cleaner fresheners, and retails in the U.S. for $40 to $60 per gram.
Calgary Herald Video and Article:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calga ... story.html
ABC News Video:
http://youtu.be/bKbTbRqXVFg
Any comments or thoughts about its effects on users?