Drug Fact Sheet: K2/Spice - DEA

1 K2/Spice WHAT IS K2? K2 and Spice are just two of the many trade names or brands for synthetic designer drugs that are intended to mimic THC, the main psychoactive ingredient of marijuana. These designer synthetic drugs are from the synthetic cannabinoid class of drugs that are often marketed and sold under the guise of herbal incense or potpourri.. Synthetic cannabinoids are not organic, but are K2/Spice chemical compounds created in a laboratory. Since 2009, law enforcement has encountered hundreds What are common street names? of different synthetic cannabinoids that are being There are numerous and various street names of sold as legal alternatives to marijuana.

2 These synthetic cannabinoids as drug manufacturers try products are being abused for their psychoactive to appeal and entice youth and young adults by properties and are packaged without information as labeling these products with exotic and extravagant to their health and safety risks. names. Some of the many street names of K2/Spice Synthetic cannabinoids are sold as herbal synthetic marijuana are: incense and potpourri under names like K2 Spice, K2, Blaze, RedX Dawn, Paradise, Demon, and Spice, as well as many other names, at small Black Magic, Spike, Mr. Nice Guy, Ninja, Zohai, Dream, convenience stores, head shops, gas stations, Genie, Sence, Smoke, Skunk, Serenity, Yucatan, Fire, and via the Internet from both domestic and and Crazy Clown.

3 International sources. These products are labeled not for human consumption in an attempt to shield What does it look like? the manufacturers, distributors, and retail sellers These chemical compounds are generally found in from criminal prosecution. This type of marketing bulk powder form, and then dissolved in solvents, is nothing more than a means to make dangerous, such as acetone, before being applied to dry plant psychoactive substances widely available to the material to make the herbal incense products. public. After local distributors apply the drug to the dry plant material, they package it for retail distribution, WHAT IS ITS ORIGIN?

4 Again without pharmaceutical-grade chemical purity The vast majority of synthetic cannabinoids are standards, as these have no accepted medical use, manufactured in Asia without manufacturing and ignoring any control mechanisms to prevent requirements or quality control standards. The contamination or to ensure a consistent, uniform bulk products are smuggled into the United States concentration of the powerful and dangerous typically as misbranded imports and have no drug in each package. The bulk powder can also legitimate medical or industrial use. be dissolved in solution intended to be used in e-cigarette or other vaping devices.

5 How is it abused? What is its effect on the body? Spraying or mixing the synthetic cannabinoids State public health and poison centers have issued on plant material provides a vehicle for the most warnings in response to adverse health effects common route of administration - smoking (using associated with abuse of herbal incense products a pipe, a water pipe, or rolling the drug-laced plant containing these synthetic cannabinoids. These material in cigarette papers). In addition to the adverse effects included tachycardia (elevated heart cannabinoids laced on plant material and sold as rate), elevated blood pressure, unconsciousness, potpourri and incense, liquid cannabinoids have tremors, seizures, vomiting, hallucinations, been designed to be vaporized through both agitation, anxiety, pallor, numbness, and tingling.

6 Disposable and reusable electronic cigarettes. This is in addition to the numerous public health and poison centers which have similarly issued What are its overdose effects? warnings regarding the abuse of these synthetic Severe adverse effects have been attributed to cannabinoids. the abuse of synthetic cannabinoids, including agitation, anxiety, seizures, stroke, coma, and What is its legal status in the United States? death by heart attack or organ failure. Acute These substances have no accepted medical kidney injury requiring hospitalization and dialysis use in the United States and have been reported in several patients reportedly having smoked to produce adverse health effects.

7 Currently, 43. synthetic cannabinoids has also been reported by substances are specifically listed as Schedule I. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. substances under the Controlled Substances Act either through legislation or regulatory action. In Which drugs cause similar effects? addition there are many other synthetic cannabinoids Synthetic cannabinoids are marketed as an that meet the definition for cannabimimetic agent . alternative to THC, the main psychoactive under the Controlled Substances Act and thus are constituent of marijuana, however they are much Schedule I substances. more potent and have been shown to cause side There are many synthetic cannabinoid substances effects that are more severe than those reported that are being sold as incense, potpourri, and from THC.

8 Other products that are not controlled substances. However, synthetic cannabinoids may be subject What is its effect on the mind? to prosecution under the Controlled Substance Acute psychotic episodes, dependence, and Analogue Enforcement Act which allows non- withdrawal are associated with use of these controlled drugs to be treated as Schedule I. synthetic cannabinoids. Some individuals have controlled substances if certain criteria can be suffered from intense hallucinations. Other effects met. The DEA has successfully investigated and include severe agitation, disorganized thoughts, prosecuted individuals trafficking and selling paranoid delusions, and violence after smoking these dangerous substances using the Controlled products laced with these substances.

9 Substance Analogue Enforcement Act.