SPICE.... NO NOT GARLIC OR OREGANO, BUT, DRUGS!!!

SPICE…..   NO NOT GARLIC OR OREGANO, BUT, DRUGS!!!

Spice and K2 are in a liquid form that is comparable to THC, the substance found in marijuana.  The compounds are then sprayed on plant materials, like potpourri and incense.  Synthetic marijuana is also available as a liquid for e-cigs.

 This creates a very easy pathway to overdose.  If the recommended dose of one drop doesn’t produce the euphoria desired, the user can simply up the dose by adding another drop.  K2 is more potent and less euphoric than marijuana.  The liquid for e-cigs is particularly dangerous.  The product is usually labeled “not for human consumption” to promote the “legal high” aspect.  They are often flavored with bubblegum, cotton candy, juicy fruit or any flavor that will appeal to the younger generation.  

Spice is simply a mixture of herbs that have a similar 

effect to marijuana, so it is legally sold all over the world.  It is attractively packaged in small colorful sachets, and marketed as a herbal smoking tobacco substitute or as a incense.  The product itself looks very much like tobacco or even potpourri.  In fact, Spice is often sold as potpourri, room deodorizer, or incense.  Even this pictured Scooby Snax Potpourri is Spice, and on the package it says, Not for Human Consumption.

Today, vaping the liquid form of synthetic marijuana, is increasing popularity in e-cigarettes, vape pens and hookah pens.  These chemicals are similar to natural cannabinoid found in marijuana, THC – tetrahydrocannabinol, but affect the brain, so they can have an effect similar to THC.  However, some synthetic cannabinoids are 100x stronger than THC and many operate on other brain receptors, too.    

This can cause a number of significant negative side effects including high blood pressure, blurred vision, heart attack, vomiting, seizures, hallucinations, and severe anxiety and paranoia.

Synthetics are not substitutes for the “classics.” 

The side effects are more intense and dangerous.  There has been an identified withdrawal syndrome associated with K2.  Some of the most widely reported Spice withdrawal symptoms include:

·         Gastrointestinal – vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.

·         Metabolic – loss of appetite, inability to sleep, extreme sweating, craving for the drug.

·         Psychiatric – Depression, loss of motivation, psychosis.

When you put together the facts of more potency, less euphoria, and wide concentration swings, you get a wide range of adverse reactions.  If you use synthetic marijuana the same way you use natural marijuana, it could result in death!