What is synthetic Marijuana and how does it affect you?
Before we delve deeper into synthetic Marijana, it is worth noting that there is a lot of false advertising going about concerning this drug. So, what is Synthetic Marijuana? Synthetic Marijuana (or “spice” or K2) is a man made drug that uses chemicals similar to Marijuana. Because of this it is called “Marijuana” the truth is, however, that this synthetic drug is far more dangerous than the real thing.
Due to the specific way it is created in laboratories, unique tests have been made to test for the new drug. Medically these drugs are all called synthetic cannabinoids and there are various k2 and spice drug tests that can detect the drug in your system. The drug is sold in tiny and non threatening packages. However, even a small dose can cause lots of damage.
What’s the danger behind synthetic Marijuana?
Cannabinoid products that are man made can be toxic, as a result people who smoke them can have severe health problems. Some of the problems may include a rapid heart rate and vomiting. There can also be agitation and high levels of nervous behaviour as well as confusion and vivid hallucinations that are difficult to get rid off.
In some cases the symptoms are so severe that emergency medical services are contacted and a visit to intensive care units is on the way. On top of all this this synthetic drugs can be highly addictive, leading to further mental issues and suicidal thoughts. Addiction can also lead to depression and violent behaviour.
The listed side effects of Spice or K2, as they are known by sellers of the drug, can and in some cases do result in loss of life. Whether that be through overdose, or through a destroyed mental state. The best way to get out of these problems is to look for help and talk to local healthcare providers as well as therapists.
How can I find out if I have synthetic Marijuana in my system?
A surefire way of knowing you have had contact with these so called fake marijuana drugs is to see any of the symptoms listed before. However, if it was injected through second hand smoking the effects might not be as visible. In that case purchasing special K2 drug test or Spice drug test will help you out greatly.
These specific drug testing strips are created with the goal of detecting a single drug in your system. Remember that they do not test for other drugs, only the specified ones. The tests are a perfect way you can check out your urine by yourself. They are, however, used in hospitals as well. Note that in some cases they are you ins workplace testing.
Synthetic drugs cannot be deactivated naturally
Usually when drugs or other psychoactive substances are ingested they take some time to metabolize. This process basically means clearing out all traces of the drug from your system. In the case of synthetic drugs our bodies do not deactivate the drug and it takes longer to metabolize.
Another danger accompanying fake Marijuana is the fact that it lacks a substance called cannabidiol. This unique substance is usually there to blunten the shock provided by THC, since there is none of that in fake marijuana the effects are full frontal. This is also another way the toxic nature of the synthetic drugs comes to light.
A street produced drug
Since selling and producing this drug is highly prohibited there is little to no legal restrictions and standard control. Making the drugs dangerous and highly volatile. It can be said that there is only one rule with this drug and that is that there is never any consistency. One days batch may be completely different from tommorows.
Synthetic Marijuana is also packaged with several different types of cannabis inside the colorful packaging. Meaning that you will never be able to tell what you got in a packet of spice or K2. Making each package of the drug a dangerous gamble that you can take and that can result in your death.
Market value of these drugs is sadly going up and there is a real demand growing. This coupled with the lack of consistency and quality control means that the problems will persist. With limited knowledge needed to produce these drugs the quality of their creation will go down. Increasing their danger further and further.
Could the legalization of Marijuana help combat this?
Legalization might be a very controversial topic to talk about especially in recent years and in the years following the war on drugs. However, the fact that a product of any kind is illegal provides a loophole for illegal producers. That being the complete lack of any kind of quality control and standards.
Similar to the years of prohibition, when all alcohol was illegal in the United States there is a lack of quality control. There are no government enforced standards that drug sellers need to follow. Although there is little to no argument for hard drugs to be legalized, ending the prohibition of drugs such as Marijuana might just help the situation.
A government enforced standard control will provide safer and healthier marijana to be sold. This could also force illegal sellers out of the market if they cannot adhere to the set standards of production. Could this be the way forward, we cannot know. What we do know is that no standards have led to the creation of synthetic Marijuana which significantly increases the danger of the drug.
Conclusion
K2 or Spice are a new drug on the street which carries with it severe health risks. Due to the complete lack of quality control the drugs are even more dangerous and can cause near death situations and even death. The drugs act in a different way to organic Marijuana and this causes them to do more damage.
If you have been in contact with this drug contact your local healthcare providers. If you have had contacts with sellers of this drug please contact local law enforcement and help save lives.
