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TEEN SOUL POWER
Synthetic Marijuana
Synthetic Marijuana is Gaining Popularity-- But a Very Dangerous Drug!
Fake “weed” products have grown since they were first introduced in 2002. As they do not trigger a positive result on a urine drug test and are marketed as being "100% organic herbs," they insinuate that they are natural and completely safe. However, now the legislature across the states and country - have declared these substances and their chemical compound makeup, to be illegal.
Not Natural: While many of the fake marijuana products sold commercially claim
to contain herbs traditionally used for medicinal purposes, this is essentially
deceitful. The truth is, none of the products on the market are completely natural.
They all have been found to contain various synthetic cannabinoids - chemicals
produced in laboratories, and encompass a wide variety of chemical compounds,
salts, isomers, analogs and structural compounds that may contain or mimic
cannabinoid receptor agonists. These synthetic cannabinoids are frequently applied to plant material. Then these mixtures are billed as herbal mixtures, incense or potpourri to try to keep them legal, i.e., not identified as drugs. They often carry a “not for human consumption” label, yet are billed as “legal alternatives to marijuana.”
Street Names of Synthetic Marijuana: Synthetic marijuana is a mixture of dried leaves from traditional herbal plants. They are various colors including green, brown, blonde and red. They are sold in small packets approximately 2 by 3 inches. The packets are foil packs or plastic zip bags. There are dozens of products
today that are being sold as herbal smoking blends, legal bud, herbal smoke, marijuana alternatives,or fake weed. Some of the brand names of the synthetic marijuana products include: Genie, Hawaiian Hybrid, K2, Magma, Blaze, Blueberry Haze, Dank, Demon Passion Smoke, Nitro, Ono Budz, Panama Red Ball, etc.
Adverse Reactions: Synthetic Marijuana has been linked to severe adverse reactions including death, renal failure, and seizures.
Other reported side effects include tachycardia (increased heart rate), paranoid behavior, agitation and irritability, nausea and vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, headaches, hypertension, electrolyte abnormalities, and loss of consciousness.
The increased potency and altered chemical structure of synthetic cannabinoids can also lead to serious mental illness.
Health professionals say they are stunned by the influx requiring treatment for psychosis after smoking synthetic marijuana, including symptoms of paranoia,
hallucinations, and delusions…. most of whom had no previous history of psychiatric problems.
Nationally, poison control centers have received 10,000 calls relating to the use of synthetics since 2011.
The use of synthetic marijuana has been deemed to constitute a danger to the health, safety and welfare of people, and most states are now outlawed synthetic marijuana and provided new civil and criminal penalties for the manufacturing or sale of these substances. Individuals with information about illegal distribution of either bath salts or synthetic drugs are encouraged to call authorities and report the violations.
Education: The primary reason that teens and young adults may be tempted to use the “fake” marijuana products is because they believe that they are made up of "natural" ingredients, and are safe. All young adults - and all adults as well, need to know the truth - that these fake marijuana products are anything but natural. There is nothing about "2-[(1R,3S)-3-hydroxycyclohexyl]-5-(2-methyloctan-2-yl)phenol)" (CP 47,497) that remotely sounds natural - or safe!
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