Synthetic cannabinoids, commonly referred to as synthetic marijuana, are a new deadly drug that are soaring in popularity among high-school-aged students, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
Also recognized by the name of “Spice” or “K2” synthetic marijuana first became obtainable in the U.S. in 2008. It was often marketed as an incense in colorful 3 ounce pouches and labeled “not for human consumption”. Spice or K2 became more and more well-known with higher school students and younger grownups because it was legally obtainable from convenience stores, smoke outlets, and on the web – until July 2012 when a national ban was enacted against the sale of synthetic cannabinoids in the U.S.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 11% of all high-school seniors used synthetic cannabinoids in 2012, and that number is likely to have grown.
Synthetic cannabinoids are made of dangerous research chemicals that are usually imported from drug traffickers in China and mixed into a solvent, according to Barden. The solvent is then sprayed on crushed-up tea leaves that are meant to look like marijuana. The drug is supposed to mimic the effects of a marijuana high by having the chemicals in the drug bind to the brain’s CB1 receptors.