A woman is on spice and looks at synthetic marijuana

Synthetic cannabinoids (marijuana), popularly termed “K2” and/or “spice”, have drastically increased in popularity in the last decade.

This relatively new phenomenon has already demonstrated several clear dangers, while many long-term dangers are still yet to be known. Here we break what we know, and do not know, about the dangers of synthetic marijuana.

What is spice?

Synthetic marijuana is made with a class of chemicals known as cannabinoids that mimic A man suffers the symptoms of spice withdrawalthe effects of THC, the primary active chemical in cannabis responsible for its high. These chemicals are typically manufactured in China, and then sprayed on various different herbs to allow them to be smoked.

These are then sold as incense or other random designations in gas stations, headshops, and other places. The chemicals and herbs used in synthetic marijuana are constantly changed in order to stay one step ahead of legislation outlawing them.

So what are the dangers of spice we know?

The chemicals known as cannabinoids, which are responsible for the effects of spice, produce a whole host of dangerous side effects that we know of.

These include health side effects such as rapid heart rate, nausea and vomiting, suicidal thoughts, and violent behavior. Spice is also known to produce many other psychotic effects, such as anxiety, confusion, paranoia, and even hallucinations.

Spice has also been shown to cause physical dependence, and thus addiction. This means that those who regularly smoke spice can become physically addicted to the drug. A withdrawal syndrome has also been shown in regular users who cease smoking spice, that includes symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, depression, and irritability.

What are the dangers of spice we don’t know?

The dangers to spice abuser’s long-term health are the major unknown when it comes to the dangers of spice. The synthetic cannabinoids used in spice have almost never been tested in humans, and thus we truly have no idea what the long-term health effects will be.

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Another major unknown with spice is what is actually in each batch. The actual contents of each individual spice batch almost always vary, with the user having no way of being able to tell for certain which chemicals it contains.

Spice batches have also been discovered to be laced with truly nasty and dangerous chemicals, such as fentanyl, bug spray, and other harmful substances.

Final Note
