A New Foe in the Fight Against Addiction

by Anthony K. Davis

Spice is one of the most popular brands of synthetic cannabis, and is also known as Genie, K2, fake weed, or Zohai. Spice can be found in head shops everywhere, and can even be purchased online. It is sold as incense, but users smoke it and find that the effects are similar to those of marijuana.

Since the effects of Spice are similar to those of marijuana, many people smoke it for the same reasons – to get away from life’s problems and enjoy the high feeling. Many users, in fact, mix the drug with marijuana for a more intense high. Also like marijuana, there are side effects: researchers have found Spice can cause dry mouth, red eyes, anxiety attacks, nausea, increased pulse rate, and hallucinations. When smoked over a long period of time, users develop a tolerance to the drug and find that they must smoke more and more to get the same high. Some users develop a chemical dependency. Sounds a lot like addiction to anything else, doesn’t it?

Spice has been found to contain JWH-018, JWH-073, and HU-210, all of which are artificial chemical compounds. None of these chemicals are guaranteed safe for human consumption. JWH-018 is a chemical fertilizer that can cause the negative effects of marijuana at much lower dosages, JWH-073 has been listed by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a chemical concern, and HU-210 has been found to be between 100 to 800 times more potent than THC, the main active chemical in marijuana.

Because it is a designer drug – a drug that has been modified to take advantage of loopholes in the legal system – and is relatively new, Spice is currently not illegal in most U.S. states despite being so many of the same properties as marijuana. Spice difficult to detect and regulate, since the drug does not show up on the same tests that work for marijuana. Many Spice proponents claim that they use it because it is not illegal and therefore they can’t get into [legal] trouble. Alcohol isn’t illegal either, as long as you are 21, but it is still dangerous to the public and can be a death sentence for an addict/ alcoholic. And at least you know what is in Alcohol!

The Texas Department of State Health Services is outlawed marijuana-like substances that are commonly found in K2, Spice and other synthetic marijuana products effective April 22, 2011. But as we addicts know, just because a drug is outlawed doesn’t mean people aren’t going to keep making it, selling it and using it. We can only hope that this new ban will deter large companies from producing the drug and selling it across our state borders.

Always remember: just because it is not illegal does not mean it won’t kill you.