Synthetic weed is also known as K2 and Spice. Synthetic weed is made from a mixture of herbs and dried plant material that sprayed with synthetic chemical cannabinoids. Cannabinoids, on the other hand, is a mind-altering ingredient found in marijuana.
What Is Synthetic Weed?
It is highly addictive and can produce similar effects to the THC that also found in marijuana. As stated by a study conducted in the year 2008, synthetic weed products are found to be more than 100 times stronger compared to THC. Synthetic weed products such as K2 and Spice are dishonestly promoted as natural, safe, and legal, but the truth is they are practically not legal, and they are not natural or even safe.
Studies show that in all cases, the active ingredients in synthetic weed products are chemicals that have dangerous toxic effects. Since the chemicals are sold as K2 and Spice, users have no idea what chemicals they are placing inside their bodies or what are the possible effects they can actually feel. Also, the herbs and spices are sprayed unequal, so the effects can possibly become wildly.
How Synthetic Weed Looks Like?
Synthetic weed looks like a dried leaf and commonly sold is small, silver plastic bags that indicate as “herbal incense”. It is also advertised in a liquid structure that used for vaporizers. Synthetic weed products can be smoked in pipes, rolled joints, or with the use of e-cigarettes. Other users add it in their tea or in bake foods such as brownies to ingest.
Synthetic weed users described their experiences similar to what they feel in a natural effect of cannabis such as relaxation, elevates moods, and change of thoughts. However, the effects can be stronger compared to natural weed because of added synthetic chemicals. Other users reported psychotic effects as if they feel being hallucinated, anxiety, and paranoia.
What Chemicals Are Used in Synthetic Weed?
Most users definitely don’t know what chemicals are used to do Synthetic weed. The director of the Poison Control Center described the chemicals that used to do the synthetic weed are from certain laboratory chemicals that are not related to natural marijuana, or it is not a medicinal type to cure conditions.
Even they figure out that the chemicals used are illegal, synthetic weed makers just begin to use different chemicals. Whenever there are new laws to make the new chemicals illegal, producers of synthetic weed products just change the chemicals over and over again.
Check these facts about synthetic weed:
- Synthetic weed makers sometimes coat the packaging like the cover of the Raid to help hide what chemicals used. It will help to cover up the chemicals that can be noticeable to synthetic weed producers. In the early days, the chemical used to do a synthetic weed is JWH 018, which is known as toxic poison and extremely dangerous kind of chemical.
- In 2010, the Poison Control Centers reported they got almost 3000 calls, which involve synthetic weed products. Most of the calls are about different people who experience seizures or strokes because synthetic weed increased their heart rate.
- Synthetic weed may possibly cause other worst reactions, such as kidney damage, paralysis, and brain damage. So if someone offered you to get high by consuming the fake weed products, keep in mind that do not just trust what the drug dealer says.
Are Synthetic Weed Products Dangerous?
Yes, synthetic weed products are extremely dangerous. Several cases reports from the United States health care authorities described different complications experience due to consumption of synthetic weed which includes:
- Seizures
- Hallucination
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- High blood pressure
- Increase in heart rate
- Confusion
- Excessive sweating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dilated Pupils
- Tremors
- Severe agitation
The K2 and Spice may also increase the blood pressure rate and may reduce blood supply to the heart that leads to having heart attacks. Many health warnings issued by many public health authorities, which describe the bad effects related to the consumption of synthetic weed products.
Like the harmful effects of consuming LSD, cocaine, and methamphetamine, using synthetic weed products can increase the blood pressure and heart rate, extreme paranoia, delusions, abnormal violent behavior, and hallucinations that sometimes make the users harm others or even themselves.
Long-term Effects of Synthetic Weed
Few possible long-term effects of consuming synthetic weed products are cancer development, reproduction, addiction, memory loss, and other health risks conditions. One study shows that some synthetic weed products contain heavy metal remnants that can be harmful to human health.
Other studies claim that using synthetic weed products can lead to addiction, especially those users that have extraordinary experiences like additional craving dosage of drugs. Regular users can feel unending symptoms.
Are Synthetic Weed Products are Still Available in Stores?
Yes, synthetic weed products are still available in stores, and they sometimes mark as an incense in a colorful small pouch or vials that labeled as “not for human consumption”. Synthetic Weed, K2, and Spice are more popular with young adults and high school students because it is said to be legal.
They can easily be purchased from online stores, convenience stores, and even in smoke shops. In July 2012, the national ban implemented as opposed to the sale of synthetic weed products in the United States. Other State laws and local also control synthetic weed products.
Even this product is illegal in many states. You can still be seen them being sold illegally on different streets in the U.S. Even users believe that using synthetic weed is safe, non-toxic, or not resulted in mind-altering effects; there are still case reported that it creates serious harmfulness after consumption. Other users report that they have been required an emergency room to treat.
The chemicals used to blend the production of synthetic weed products can be more potential compared to the natural THC, which is an important compound of natural marijuana, making it more possible for risky side effects.
Conclusion
How synthetic weed products are exactly made remains unknown. It is because harmful chemicals are used as ingredients. As a responsible person, avoid consuming synthetic weed, especially when you are not sure what exactly it made. Health professionals and authorities may include strategic programs to focus on the prevention of consuming synthetic weed to avoid increasing risk due to rapid consumption.
