Synthetic Cannabinoids

These chemicals are said to mimic the action of marijuana (cannabis) but they have no relation to the marijuana plant. They are purely chemicals. To try to convince people of the similarity and harmlessness of these drugs, manufacturers of this drug spray the chemicals on damiana, plant matter that is mildly stimulating when smoked.

These drugs are far stronger and more unpredictable than marijuana. Drugs in this category are mostly known by their original formula identifiers:

JWH-018
JWH-073
JWH-370
HU-210
AM-1248
XLR-11
5F-AKB48

The packages may be labeled Spice, K2, K3, Diesel, Cloud 9 or other names. Some of them can cause a severe, temporary psychosis that can last for weeks.

The Health Risks of Synthetic Cannabinoids

Synthetic cannabinoids are usually about four times stronger than a potent form of marijuana but the effects are slower to arrive. A person may overdose on this drug when he uses more of the drug to get a desired effect and then the full effects set in.

According to medical records, the effects of these drugs include anxiety, paranoia, delusions and psychosis. It is common for the heart to beat at an abnormally fast rate. Blood pressure rockets to dangerous levels.

Kidneys can be severely affected by the chemicals in Spice. In 2013, sixteen people across six states were hospitalized with injury to their kidneys and in some cases, kidney failure.

Hallucinations, paranoia and anxiety create a perilous situation for a person. He has no control over his actions or his environment. Psychotic episodes are common.

Deaths have been attributed to accident or suicide. There have also been problems with blood flow being cut off to the heart muscle itself.

The website http://tothemaximusblog.org was established by the family of a young man who drove his car into his own house while high on a synthetic cannabinoid. Nearly 50 deaths related to use of this drug are documented on this blog. The individuals either killed themselves, overdosed, drowned or had car accidents that killed themselves or other people.

A news report from New Zealand on their problems with synthetic cannabis noted the following problems reported after use: “paranoia, panic attacks, headaches and prolonged vomiting, and, in extreme cases, psychosis, kidney failure and heart conditions.”

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