K2/Spice (Synthetic Marijuana)
The following was taken from our Parent Drug Program Manual:
What exactly is “K2/Spice”?
Known by a variety of names including Zohai, Genie, Bliss, Nice, Black Mamba, Incense, and even fake weed, Spice is a mixture of plant leaves and stems that have been laced with synthetic chemicals. It’s sold in colorful three-ounce plastic pouches decorated with psychedelic designs. But the drug is not as fun and lighthearted as it appears. Experts point out that due to the variation in chemical additives used in Spice,K2, and other synthetics, users don’t know exactly what they’re getting in each packet and the effects can therefore be unpredictable.
What are the street names/slang terms?
The most common names for synthetic marijuana are K2 and Spice, but it is also sold as Bliss, Black Mamba, Bombay Blue, Blaze, Genie, Spice, Zohai, JWH -018, -073, -250, Yucatan Fire, Skunk and Moon Rocks.
What is synthetic marijuana?
K2 or Spice is a mixture of herbs, spices or shredded plant material that is typically sprayed with a synthetic compound chemically similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
What does it look like?
Typically sold in small, silvery plastic bags of dried leaves and marketed as incense that can be smoked. It is said to resemble potpourri.
How is it used?
Usually smoked in joints or pipes, but some users make it into a tea.
What are its short term effects?
Short term effects include loss of control, lack of pain response, increased agitation, pale skin, seizures, vomiting, profuse sweating, uncontrolled / spastic body movements, elevated blood pressure, heart rate and palpitations. The onset of this drug is 3-5 minutes, and the duration of the high is 1-8 hours.
In addition to physical signs of use, users may experience: dysphoria, severe paranoia, delusions, hallucinations and increased agitation.
What are its long term effects?
Unknown
Testing: The instant tests on the market for this drug are new and not accurate enough, in our opinion, for us to sell but we do sell an accurate lab based test. Go to the “Products tab on the home page, scroll to “Synthetic Drugs” then click “Synthetic Marijuana”.
What is its federal classification?
On March 1, 2011, DEA published a final order in the Federal Register temporarily placing five synthetic cannabinoids into Schedule I of the CSA. As a result of this order, the full effect of the CSA and its implementing regulations including criminal, civil and administrative penalties, sanctions, and regulatory controls of Schedule I substances will be imposed on the manufacture, distribution, possession, importation and exportation of these synthetic cannabinoids.
Source: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), National Institute on Drug Abuse, American Association of Poison Control Centers
K2/Spice: In addition, concerns about the use of synthetic marijuana, known as K2 or spice, prompted its inclusion in the survey for the first time in 2011. Surprisingly, 11.4 percent of 12th graders reported past year use. (Monitoring the Future)