‘Weed pen’ sent my lovely, clever boy psychotic – he spent £100 a week on his fix & was sectioned after two weeks of use

THEY look just like the vapes millions of people puff on every day. Small enough to slip into the pocket of a school blazer and easy to hide from parents and teachers. But experts warn ultra-potent ‘Cali vapes’ are putting teenagers at risk, with one mum claiming it sent her “beautiful, clever” teenage son spiralling into psychosis before he was sectioned in May this year. Olinda Oleksewycz says vapes containing THC led to her son Max being hospitalised with psychosis Credit: Kennedy News The mum-of-two says the pens made her son become ‘manic’ Credit: Kennedy News Unlike regulated nicotine vapes, they contain THC (short for Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) – the active ingredient in cannabis that makes a person feel high. Many have been imported from countries that allow them, such as California in the US. Weed vapes, also known as weed pens, can only be bought in the UK on the unregulated black market with no safety checks, no quality controls and no guarantee as to what is inside the devices. Mum-of-two Olinda Oleksewycz, 54, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, claims her son, Max Benson, bought one for £25 in the park, from a man he knew locally. The 15-year-old raved about them being “marvellous”, saying they left him feeling “chilled” – and soon he was spending £100 a week on his fix. But Olinda, who was aware the vapes contained THC, says her son became “manic”, started discussing conspiracy theories and talking to strangers in the street. She was increasingly concerned when she learned Max was smoking the vapes “all day” and stopped eating and sleeping. Olinda, who lives with Max and her older son Louis, 17, is now warning parents of the dangers of THC vapes, telling Sun Health: “My advice to other parents whose kids might come home with one is to be careful, as it could be laced with god knows what. The teen raved about the pens being ‘marvellous’ but he was soon spending £100 a week on his fix Credit: Kennedy News Experts warn ultra-potent ‘Cali vapes’ are putting teenagers at risk Credit: Getty “It is synthetic, it’s strong and it can induce psychosis. “It’s not normal cannabis, it’s man-made. “You’re not going to be well if you start taking these THC vapes.” Olinda says that Max had been smoking cannabis already. Dr David McLaughlan, a consultant psychiatrist at Priory, tells Sun Health: “Parents need to realise that these vapes aren’t the cannabis of the 1970s or 80s. “Some contain THC levels many times stronger than traditional cannabis.” Max bought the weed pen in early May 2026 and less than a fortnight later on May 11, he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act after being found in the street in the middle of the night. Olinda says he probably would have been “better off” if he had just stuck to cannabis, which has its own risks and is also linked to the development of psychiatric conditions. “They’re really, really strong,” she says. “Anyone who hadn’t smoked it before would only be able to take a couple of puffs.” Professor Marta Di Forti, Professor of Drug Use, Genetics and Psychosis at King’s College London, likens the jump from herbal cannabis to THC vapes to “going from shandy to vodka in terms of potency”. She warns: “Users of THC vapes talk of getting a more powerful high. “From a drug dealer’s point of view, the stronger the product, the faster people can become dependent, so they’re more likely to come back for more. “These vapes are also appealing to teenagers because they don’t smell like herbal cannabis, making them easier to hide.” Di Forti, who treats people for cannabis-induced psychosis, co-led a study that found people who use cannabis containing 10 per cent THC or more every day are five times more likely to develop a psychosis than those who have never used. “If you use something much more potent, with very high levels of THC, the chances of developing a psychotic disorder are even greater,” Dr Forti said. Max bought the weed pen in early May 2026 and less than a fortnight later on May 11, he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act Credit: Kennedy News Olinda says he probably would have been ‘better off’ if he had just stuck to cannabis Credit: Kennedy News “We don’t yet know exactly how much greater because the products are still relatively new, but they have already raised huge concern. “I have seen young people arrive in A&E with psychotic symptoms after using just one vape.” Symptoms of psychosis include hearing voices, severe paranoia, delusions and disordered thinking. There is also a risk that they contain spice, which can act on the brain up to 100 times more powerfully than natural THC. Spice, a nickname for synthetic cannabinoids, is sometimes referred to as manmade cannabis. They are chemicals derived from the cannabis plant that are altered to such an extent that they are deemed artificial. They may have similar effects to cannabis but are more unpredictable and dangerous. Vapes purchased from illegal sources have been found to contain spice, which have contributed to many overdoses in the UK, some resulting in people being taken to hospital, reports Talk to Frank, an anti-drug advisory service. Spice can also trigger psychotic episodes which may last for weeks.Olinda fears Max’s vapes were laced with spice which she reported to the police, evidence of which The Sun has obtained. While she condoned her son’s cannabis use, Olinda says ultimately she couldn’t stop him. Once he was hooked on the vapes, he funded his £100-a-week habit (four pens a week) by doing jobs for his mum’s pals. Olinda says: “[The person who sold him the vapes] was actually making the journey to the woods where all these kids hang out and for some reason, targeting my son, probably because he’s the keenest, and selling him these vapes. Max had been at a friend’s house when a worried parent took him to A&E because he had started ‘talking nonsense’ Credit: Kennedy News Vapes purchased from illegal sources have been found to contain spice Credit: Getty “It’s all done on Snapchat.” The vapes have become increasingly more accessible in recent years, sold not only by street drug dealers but on websites, social media and even at some shops ‘under the counter’. Olinda says: “I remember him bringing it home, saying how marvellous it was and how chilled he was. “[He said], ‘Do you want to have a puff of it?’ and I said, ‘No, I don’t, I don’t want you to have a puff of it either’. “Two weeks before he was admitted, his behaviour was changing and he wasn’t sleeping, he wasn’t eating, he was really paranoid and he was smoking his vapes all day long. “[He was] getting really involved in these conspiracy theories, talking to strangers, just randomly talking to anybody in the street – really weird. “Max was really manic and going around all of my friends saying, ‘Have you got any jobs?’.” Max had been at a friend’s house when a worried parent took him to A&E because he had started “talking nonsense”, but he ran away. Olinda says: “He was found at [outside the house] in the middle of the night. The crisis team became involved and then he was taken to hospital.” Psychosis is when someone’s thoughts and feelings change so dramatically that they find it difficult to recognise what is real and what is not, says the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It causes delusions and hallucinations, with symptoms including changes in social behaviour, like becoming more isolated, more argumentative, volatile and changes in sleep and eating patterns. Causes can include childbirth, a major life event like death, a mood disorder, sleep deprivation or drugs. HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CHILD’S VAPE IS A WEED PEN IF you find a vape, how do you know if it is a THC vape, an illegal vape or a regular, safe vape? Markus Lindblad, from Haypp provides all the details and differences to be aware of. SMELL Often fruity or sweet, legal vapes produce a typically ‘nice’ smell. THC vapes also come in different flavours but will typically also have a distinctive weed smell. SIZE AND SHAPE THE typical THC vape is thinner and smaller than other vapes. They are most commonly black and rectangular. Other vapes tend to be colourful and slighter larger. SIDE EFFECTS THC vapes will produce similar side effects to smoking weed. Users may feel sleepy or hungry, have red eyes, be quite giggly, or have a dry mouth or extreme thirst. OILS IN most THC vapes there is often a small see-through window on the side or top of the vape showing the liquid. With a THC vape, the liquid is in an oil form and is typically thicker and darker in colour than e-cigarette liquids. NAMES LOOK at the branding and the words on the pen – is it one you recognise? Whilst they are most commonly known as THC vapes, there are a lot of synthetic versions of THC constantly being released, such as THCh, THCb, HHC-0 or HHC. At the hospital, Max tested positive for THC. Olinda says: “It was a 100 per cent drug-induced psychosis. “He was in seclusion and he pulled a sink off a wall, that’s how psychotic he was.” Prof Di Forti says: “When cannabis has played an important role in triggering psychosis, stopping its use gives many young people a very good chance of recovery. “With the right treatment, many return to education, work and normal life.” Teenagers are especially vulnerable to cannabis in any form because their brains and bodies are still developing. Prof Di Forti says: “Research has consistently shown that the younger someone starts using cannabis, the greater their risk of developing psychosis. “During adolescence, the brain is particularly sensitive to THC because its target receptor CB1 is at its peak of expression across many brain regions. “It is why even legal substances should not be used during this period of development. “Also, the liver is less efficient at clearing it out. It’s effectively a double hit.” Max had a two-week detox from all cannabis but there was “very little improvement”, and he is now medicated. “It can take up to two years before he’s 100 per cent,” Olinda says. “He may have sustained some permanent mental health issues but he’ll certainly be medicated for up to two years.” She hopes that by sharing Max’s story, she’ll prevent another teenager facing the same ordeal. “I’m not just saying this because he’s my son – he’s just a beautiful, kind, personable young man,” she says. “He hasn’t got a bad bone in him, he’s just so polite and kind and caring, really academic, very clever, an all-round beautiful boy.” West Yorkshire Police claim they do not have a log of Olinda’s complaint and, therefore, there is no active investigation. A spokesperson said: “The best way to report drug crime is by calling 101 or using the report it options at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/reportit. “West Yorkshire Police will take action against anyone found to be supplying these vapes. “We work closely with our partners including Trading Standards and local councils, to actively promote the dangers of these vapes and take action against those involved in their sale.”