pice was first introduced for sale in England in 2004. Multiple brands of Spice (see Table 1 for examples
of street and shelf names), called K2, entered the United States and became prevalent throughout the country by 2008. Te Internet assisted the meteoric rise of synthetic marijuana in the United States by making it readily accessible to all, especially adolescents whose limited financial resources and fear of being drug tested, caught and punished were key factors. It became a favorite item in convenient stores and head shops as well. By 2012, it was rapidly gaining ground on marijuana among high school seniors where one in nine had tried K21
. Te number of high
school seniors that tried marijuana in 2012 was 36.4 percent whereas the number of seniors that had sampled synthetic marijuana was 11.3 percent1
. What is happening in Europe?
Responding to potential health concerns, Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden and Estonia (in chronological order) have taken legal actions to ban or otherwise control ‘Spice’ products and related compounds. Other member states are also now considering if measures in this area are warranted. Te questions remain the same. What medicinal value do these products have
that can compete with existing products on the pharmacy shelf? Te answer is simple: None! What about New Zealand? In 2013,
the government voted 119–1 in favor of establishing a strictly regulated marketplace for low-risk psychoactive products, but with subsequent amendments made just before the 2014 election, the retail marketplace was shut down. You must go through the same rigorous testing as a pharmaceutical product, demonstrating efficacy and reporting side effects, if you are to market K2 in New Zealand. Tey require warning labels if needed, like cigaretes in the United States. Tey also forbid Internet sales of the products. So this country has given the manufacturers of synthetic marijuana an opportunity to prove the medicinal value of the drug, and so far no one has felt confident enough to invest the capital needed to pass through legitimate channels to demonstrate that the drug has value as a medicine. Drugs that mimic marijuana are banned in
some sports and are listed on the World Anti- Doping List. Te issue with this is that the chemical structures are always being changed making it difficult for laboratory detection. Te cannabinomimetics that can be identified are placed on the list and are increasingly tested for by the federation. Like with
Table 1—Street and Shelf names for Synthetic Marijuana Spice Gold
PEP Spice Spice Diamond Fire n Ice Yucatan Fire Solar Flare K2 Summit Genie
www.datia.org Bliss Black Mamba Bombay Blue Blaze Earthquake Zombie World G-Force K2 Blonde Bad-to-the-Bone K2 Standard Dark Night Berry Blend The Moon Magma Ono Budz
Panama Red Ball
Blueberry Haze Skunk Hawaiian Hybrid Ultra Chronic Dank Ninja
marijuana, the active ingredients in synthetic marijuana is stored in the body fat thus can be detected for long periods of time. In the United States, the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that emergency room visits increased from 11,406 in 2010 to 28,531 in 20113
. In
2011, K2 was the only drug involved in 65 percent of the emergency department visits by those 20 and younger3
. Under the
misleading heading of “herbal incense” and “potpourri,” Spice and K2 are liquefied synthetic cannabinoids that are chemically similar to THC, the psychoactive substance found in marijuana. Te compound(s) are then sprayed on plant material analogous to that found in potpourri and incense. Synthetic marijuana is also available as a liquid for e-cigs. Tis 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. Te liquid for e-cigs is particularly dangerous. Te paraphernalia oſten found with marijuana users such as pipes, grinders, and screens are found with synthetic marijuana users as well. Te multitude of products is labeled
“not for human consumption” to promote the “legal high” aspect of the ingenious
Aroma Voodoo Spice Black Widow
California Dreams
Dr. Feel Good Puff
Green Kush Mad Monkey Mad Hatter Premium Herbal Wicked Boom datia focus 27
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