In the spirit of red ribbon week, I wanted to post a warning about synthetic weed. Contrary to what the name suggests, these designer drugs have very little in common to normal marijuana. The only reason why these substances are called cannabinoids is that they affect the same brain receptors as THC. Without a doubt, they are more dangerous and can easily ruin a person’s life. If you ever come across any, as in if a friend offers some, take it and throw it in the nearest garbage bag. Even if you’re curious about what the high feels like, you do not want to mixed up with this. Countless news articles have been written about people being hospitalized for bleeding due to “fake weed.” Like many other illicit substances, the quality matters when it comes to the user’s safety. Bad batches can cause the bleeding as well as make it easier to overdose. In a two week period, NPR reported that 300 people ODed in Washington D.C.. The CDC found that even two packets of the same name or even batch can produce widely varying results. There is absolutely no regulation in this market, making it impossible to tell what will happen after use. Common symptoms include vomiting, seizures, blacking out, and death. If that sounds like a fun time, then you have bigger problems to deal with. In addition to that lovely list, many users have reported an instant physiological need to get another hit once the drug enters their system. Addiction after the first use is a very real possibility. The worst part about all of this is that the stuff is really easy to get. Before all the media attention, K2 and Spice were readily available in convenience stores (and still are in some places.) The picture above shows some samples of the colorful packets used to attract consumers. More legislation is being passed to regulate its sale, but regulation is especially hard as they’re marked as a “herbal mix.” The FDA already has a hard time testing other medication for side effects, nevertheless needing to police an unregulated term. The manufacturers hamper this process even more by adding in contaminants like Vitamin E and fatty acids which makes testing the drugs harder. If they do have their products taken off the shelves, they come out with a new strand, ever so slightly different, which needs to be tested yet again.
If you value your life, there's no reason to buy synthetic marijuana. Not only is it extremely dangerous to use, the money spent will be going to support companies which try to avoid the legal system built to stop these substances.
0 Comments
|
ArchivesCategories |