On March 1, 2011, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency added the five common chemical compounds found in synthetic marijuana to the list of Schedule 1 prohibited drugs. These chemicals are now classified with ecstasy, LSD and marijuana, making the sale and possession of synthetic cannabinoids illegal in all 50 states. Use, possession, or distribution of synthetic cannabinoid products is now a violation of the Penn State Student Code of Conduct, similar to natural marijuana use and possession.
Sometimes sold under brand names such as K2, Spice, Genie and Blaze, or under generic descriptors like “herbal incense,” synthetic marijuana is a mixture of herbs that are typically sprayed with a chemical compound similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredients in natural marijuana. These chemicals have psychotropic effects including paranoia, panic attacks and giddiness.
Possessing the same addictive qualities associated with most street drugs, synthetic marijuana is estimated to be 66 to 800 times more powerful than natural marijuana. The risk of adverse health effects is increased due to variations in the composition and concentration of chemicals sprayed on the plant material.
As of Dec. 21, 2010, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) documented more than 2,500 calls to poison control centers concerning synthetic cannabinoid products. Initial research into the effects of synthetic marijuana on humans, along with the federal government’s move to outlaw them pending any conclusive findings, suggests that synthetic marijuana may be far from a “harmless” substitute.
State and local public health departments and poison control centers report adverse health effects including agitation, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia (fast, racing heartbeat), elevated blood pressure, tremor, seizures, hallucinations, paranoid behavior and nonresponsiveness.
Reports from emergency room physicians, emergency medical responders and law enforcement agencies describe psychotic episodes, withdrawal and dependence associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoids. Synthetic marijuana users also report a hangover-type feeling, headaches and a harsher “buzz.”
Visit the Penn State Judicial Affairs website at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/judicial for more information about the Student Code of Conduct and Sanctioning Guidelines.
Additional information about synthetic marijuana can be found on the US Drug Enforcement Administration website at http://www.justice.gov/dea/ online.