K2 and Spice are just two of the many trade names or
brands for synthetic designer drugs that are intended
to mimic THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient of
marijuana. These designer synthetic drugs are from
the synthetic cannabinoid class of drugs which are often
marketed and sold under the guise of ?herbal incense?
or ?potpourri.?
Synthetic cannabinoids aren't organic, but are
chemical substances created in a laboratory. Since
2009, police has encountered hundreds of
different synthetic cannabinoids which are being sold as
?legal? alternatives to marijuana. The products are
being abused because of their psychoactive properties and are
packaged without information concerning their health and
safety risks.
Synthetic cannabinoids are sold at small
convenience stores, head shops, gasoline stations, and
via the Internet from both domestic and international
sources. The products are labeled ?not for
human consumption? so that they can shield the
manufacturers, distributors, and retail sellers from

criminal prosecution. This type of marketing is nothing
more than a means to make dangerous, psychoactive
substances accessible to the public.
WHAT IS ITS ORIGIN?
Almost all synthetic cannabinoids are
stated in Asia without manufacturing
requirements or quality control standards. The bulk
powdered chemical is smuggled in to the United States
typically as misbranded imports and also have no legitimate
medical or industrial use.
What are common street names?
There are numerous street names of synthetic
cannabinoids as drug manufacturers try to appeal to
and entice youth and adults by labeling these
products with exotic and extravagant packaging.
Some of the many street names of K2/Spice synthetic
marijuana are:
? ?Spice, K2, Blaze, RedX Dawn, Paradise, Demon,
Black Magic, Spike, Mr. Nice Guy, Ninja, Zohai,
Dream, Genie, Sence, Smoke, Skunk, Serenity,
Yucatan, Fire, Skooby Snax, and Crazy Clown.
What does it appear to be?
These chemical compounds are generally found in
bulk powder form, and dissolved in solvents, such
as acetone, before being applied to dry plant material
to make the ?herbal incense? https://diigo.com/0swcv0 . After local
distributors apply the drug to the dry plant material, they
package it for retail distribution. As these products have
no accepted medical use, this process is done without
pharmaceutical-grade chemical purity standards, or any
concern for an individual. It ignores any control mechanisms
that would serve to make sure a uniform concentration of
the powerful and dangerous drugs contained in each
package. The disregard for the general public?s safety and
often encountered ?hot spots? in the drug packaging can
result in a user ingesting an extremely concentrated portion
of the drugs without their knowledge, often leading to
serious adverse health effects. The majority powder can
also be dissolved in solution designed to be used in
e-cigarette or other vaping devices.
K2/Spice
K2/Spice
Department of Justice/Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Fact Sheet
How could it be abused?
Spraying or mixing the synthetic cannabinoids on
plant material offers a vehicle for the most common
route of administration - smoking (using a pipe, a
water pipe, or rolling the drug-laced plant material
in cigarette papers). As well as the cannabinoids
laced on plant material and sold as potpourri and
incense, liquid cannabinoids have already been designed to
be vaporized through both disposable and reusable
electronic cigarettes.
What are its overdose effects?
Severe adverse effects have already been attributed to the
abuse of synthetic cannabinoids, including nausea,
vomiting, agitation, anxiety, seizures, stroke, coma,
and death by heart attack or organ failure. Acute
kidney injury requiring hospitalization and dialysis in
several patients reportedly having smoked synthetic
cannabinoids in addition has been reported by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
Which drugs cause similar effects?
Synthetic cannabinoids are marketed as a substitute
to THC, the primary psychoactive constituent of
marijuana, however they are much more potent and
have been proven to cause side effects that are more
severe than those reported from THC.
What is its influence on the mind?
Acute psychotic episodes, dependence, and
withdrawal are connected with usage of these synthetic
cannabinoids. A lot of people have suffered from
intense hallucinations. Other effects include severe
agitation, disorganized thoughts, paranoid delusions,
and violence after smoking products laced with these
substances.
What is its influence on the body?
State public health and poison centers have issued
warnings in response to adverse health effects
connected with abuse of herbal incense products
containing these synthetic cannabinoids. These
undesireable effects included tachycardia (elevated heart
rate), elevated blood pressure, unconsciousness,
tremors, seizures, vomiting, hallucinations, agitation,
anxiety, pallor, numbness, and tingling. That is in
addition to the numerous public health insurance and poison
centers that have similarly issued warnings
regarding the abuse of the synthetic cannabinoids.
In some instances, the adverse health effects can
be long-lasting even after the user quits utilizing the
substances.
What's its legal status in the usa?
These substances have no accepted medical use in
the United States and also have been reported to create
adverse health effects. Currently, 43 substances are
specifically listed as Schedule I substances beneath the
Controlled Substances Act either through legislation
or regulatory action. In addition there are many
other synthetic cannabinoids that meet up with the definition
for ?cannabimimetic agent? beneath the Controlled
Substances Act and therefore are Schedule I substances.
There are various synthetic cannabinoid substances
that are being sold as ?incense,? ?potpourri,? and other
products that are not controlled substances. However,
synthetic cannabinoids could be subject to prosecution
beneath the Controlled Substance Analogue Enforcement