The Use of Synthetic Marinjuana Is Increasing Despite Warnings

Updated December 14, 2014.

Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.

In spite of all the warnings, negative publicity and efforts of lawmakers and law enforcement to curtail the problem, use of synthetic cannabinoids - fake marijuana - is growing at a rapid pace. If the number of people showing up in emergency rooms reporting bad reactions to the chemicals in the fake weed products is an indication, their use more than doubled during one 12-month period.

Synthetic cannabinoids - sold under names like "Spice" and "K2" and dozens of other exotic brands - contain manmade chemicals that attempt to mimic the feeling that someone gets when they smoke marijuana.

They are made by spraying these synthetic chemicals onto plant material.

Ingredients Vary Widely

But, the chemicals in these products vary widely from product to product and they are changed frequently to evade evolving laws and regulations.

Consequently, it is difficult for healthcare officials to identify which of the synthetic cannabinoid chemicals cause which adverse effects. The chemical structures of the psychoactive components of the fake pot products are continually changing as is the composition of the herbal products themselves, the experts say.

Not Natural or Safe

One thing that is certain, synthetic cannabinoid products are neither "natural" nor are they "safe." The harmful effects of these synthetic marijuana products are evidence in the number of users who end up in emergency rooms with a wide variety of adverse reactions.

A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, using data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) surveys, found that between 2010 and 2011, the number of E.R.

visits related to synthetic cannabinoid use more than doubled.

E.R. Visits Doubled

The SAMHSA report on synthetic cannabinoids, published in October 2014, found:

E.R. visits increased from 11,404 in 2010 to 28,531
Visits increased fourfold for those aged 18 to 20
Emergency visits doubled for ages 12 to 17
For those 20 or younger, fake marijuana was the only substance involved in 65% of the E.R. visits
For the first time, a significant number of users aged 45 to 54 were treated in 2011.

Health officials report that the sheer number of users who end up going to emergency department for help emphasizes just how dangerous the chemicals in synthetic cannabinoid products can be.

Adverse Health Effects

Adverse effects of synthetic cannabinoids reported by E.R. personnel include:

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported cases of acute kidney injuries in multiple states that have been linked to use of synthetic cannabinoids. Some deaths have been reported which were attributed to the use of synthetic marijuana.

Several cases of new-onset psychosis have been reported after multiple uses of synthetic cannabinoids. Because use of the products is relatively new in the United States, there is very little data about the effects and toxicity of chronic use of synthetic marijuana.

Why Is Use of Fake Weed Growing?

Authorities believe there are two factors driving the increase in use of synthetic cannabinoids in spite of all the efforts to stop the practice. First, young people are attracted to the products because they are seeking a "legal high," and they have bought into the idea that these products are safe.

For some teens, the appeal is not only that the products are "legal," but they are readily available - sold online, in head shops and even in convenience stores in some areas.

Another group attracted to the synthetic cannabinoid products are those who are required to take drug tests. The ingredients in "Spice" and "K2" and the multitude of other similar products are not detected by current routine drug testing technologies, as marijuana is.

Therefore, synthetic cannabinoids are attractive to people who are on parole or probation, or those who must undergo routine drug testing in military and civilian workplaces.

More Education Needed

If people using synthetic marijuana are doing so to pass drug tests, the public safety issues are significant, along with the public health concerns about the adverse effects of the products.

"Synthetic cannabinoids are a growing public health risk – made even more dangerous by the widespread misconception that they are safe and legal," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. "These injury reports compel us to get the word out to all segments of the community – especially youth – that these products can cause significant harm."

The federal government and every state in the United States have taken legal steps to prevent the distribution of synthetic marijuana, passing new laws and regulations.

What You Can Do

Health officials say more education is needed about the dangers of synthetic marijuana by the general public, healthcare providers and the retailers who sell the products.

Parents need to discuss the dangers of the drugs with their children, giving them fact-based information. Parents can also help by installing parental controls on their Internet service to prevent online purchases of synthetic cannabinoid products.

Children need to understand the dangers involved in using drugs that contain unknown and untested chemicals that are constantly changing to evade laws and regulations. The laws are not in place to spoil their fun, they are there to keep them safe.

^Sources:

^{Office of National Drug Control Policy. (2014). "Synthetic drugs (a.k.a. K2, Spice, bathsalts, etc.). Factsheet 2014}

^{Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits Involving Synthetic Cannabinoids." The CBHSQ Report 16 October 2014}