Spice/K2
“Spice.” “K2.” “Crazy Clown.” Synthetic cannabinoids, or what the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) calls “new psychoactive substances,” are sold under a staggering number of names. Synthetic cannabinoids are combinations of laboratory chemicals that attempt to mimic the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. This family of drugs are often manufactured in overseas or underground laboratories and then sprayed on dried plant material for smoking – or turned into a liquid form that can be vaporized.
Sovereign Health knows how dangerous K2 abuse and K2 addiction can be. We are a leading provider of K2 addiction treatment. We also treat the underlying mental issues that often drive abuse of dangerous drugs like K2/Spice, using effective, evidence-based treatment methods to treat our patients in both body and mind.
Abusing K2/Spice
Synthetic cannabinoids have a long history in laboratory use. Originally created to help researchers understand how brain receptors functioned, underground chemists learned how to manufacture the chemicals by studying research papers.
Legally, these drugs often exist in a sort of limbo. For one thing, the chemical makeup of these drugs changes very rapidly, making it difficult for authorities to outlaw the drugs’ sale. Also, these drugs are often sold with such labels as “bowl cleaner” or “not for human consumption” as a legal dodge.
This is the rare occasion where it’s a good idea to take advice from illicit drug packaging. Thanks to their ever-changing chemical makeup, drugs in this family are notoriously unpredictable. One batch of K2 may act chemically similar to marijuana, but create vastly stronger effects. Another batch may produce side effects of K2 Spice completely different from marijuana – a terrifying surprise for a user expecting a different outcome. Worse, since these drugs are produced in unregulated laboratories with no quality control or safety considerations, the wrong batch of K2/Spice could put users in the hospital, or kill them outright. These drugs are a pure gamble.
Symptoms of K2/Spice Abuse
Some of the symptoms of K2 use or abuse can include the following:
- Confusion
- Intense anxiety and paranoia
- Hallucination
- Severe mood changes
- Paranoia
Red Flags of K2/Spice Abuse
- Increased heart rate
- Suicidal ideation
- Aggressive and violent behavior
- Psychosis