Ask NIDA scientist Marilyn A. Huestis, Ph.D., what she wants to tell young people about the synthetic (manmade) marijuana called Spice, and she responds with passion. In a recent interview with SBB, Dr. Huestis shared a news story about teens in Dallas who went to the ER with chest pains, only to learn that they had had heart attacks. All of them had recently smoked Spice.
Dr. Huestis said that dangerous health effects from Spice are possible because of the drug’s potency. “Using Spice is very dangerous because the chemicals and compounds that are in it vary from batch to batch. You might buy a package one week, go back to the same place and buy the exact same package the next week, and the ingredients may be completely different. Not only are the ingredients unknown, but so is the strength of the drug,” she said.
“Because its makeup varies so widely, studying Spice is a challenge,” said Dr. Huestis. “Essentially, if you use it, you’re experimenting on yourself.”
That experimentation could result in other life-threatening health complications. According to a recent news story out of Wyoming, three young people were hospitalized with kidney failure from using blueberry-flavored Spice. A dozen other people got sick. Everyone affected was in their late teens or early 20s.
Use Is Expanding
NIDA’s Monitoring the Future study asked teens about synthetic marijuana for the first time in the 2011 survey. What they found: Approximately 1 in every 10 high school seniors reported use in the past 12 months. Teens and young adults may be drawn to Spice because sometimes it comes in flavors.
Even though it’s illegal in the United States, Spice is still available in some truck stops and other places that market it as incense. Dr. Huestis said this is because manufacturers are constantly changing the ingredients to attempt to get around the bans. However, the United States does have an “analog law,” which bans drugs with chemistry and effects similar to illegal drugs.
“We’re learning more about Spice and how it works in the body and brain every day,” said Dr. Huestis. “Research is focusing on the body’s cannabinoid system, which regulates hunger, memory, and heart rate, among many other important functions. Spice and marijuana hijack this system.”
Read more about Spice.
Comments
Are you aware of any information regarding second hand exposure of spice to infants? We have a foster child (8 months old) that we know has been exposed to it via breast feeding but don't know how much through second hand smoke.
So far, the effects of Spice have only been tested in the lab, so very little is known about its dangers in humans. It’s difficult to predict the effects of prenatal and neonatal exposure to any toxic substance - much less to a drug with as many varieties as Spice. You should raise this concern with your pediatrician, since early detection and treatment of possible consequences can go a long way to ensuring your child stays healthy. Research does show that quality parenting can overcome most effects of early drug exposure. @Patrick, it sounds like you are a “quality” parent. Thank you for fostering.
I am 54 and smoked it because I couldn't get medical marijuana for my PTSD. It almost made me have a heart attack and gave me seizures. Get wise, legalize marijuana! It's harmless as medicine.
When you smoke marijuana you are not only harming yourself you are harming other people. Drugs are bad. Second hand smoke is not the only way you can hurt other people other than yourself. If you drive when you are high you can hurt yourself more than the marijuana already has and you can hurt other people whether they are with you or not. Be smart and don't smoke because you are hurting other people besides you.
@psychnurse Spice is a fairly new substance and we still have much to learn, especially about detox. We do know that Spice abusers who have been taken to Poison Control Centers and emergency rooms report symptoms that include rapid heart rate, vomiting, agitation, confusion, and hallucinations, and in a few cases, has been associated with heart attacks.
You may want to contact your local poison control center and/or hospital for advice on how to treat these serious symptoms of overdose until paramedics can arrive. You could also try this Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator (http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/) to contact facilities near you and try to find out how they are treating people who have abused Spice.
IVE USED "SPICE" AS YOU WOULD CALL IT AND IT IS HORRIBLE. IT ONLY LAST FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND IT HAS A HIGH THAT IS LIKE POT BUT NOT AS GOOD. I SMOKE BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE BEING ON MEDS FOR MY STRESS OR PANIC ATTACKS AND IT HAS SEEMED TO HELP ME ALOT MORE THAN MEDS HAVE. I NEVER TOUCHED IT UNTILL I WAS 22 AND I AGREE WITH ALL ITS BENIFITS. K2 HELPS NONE OF THAT! IT SHOULD BE ILLEGIAL AND NOT SOLD ANYWHERE. KIDS SMOKE IT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SHOW ON DRUG SCREENS AND BECAUSE IT SEEMS HARMLESS. WELL IF YOUR THINKING ABOUT TRYING IT, IT ISN'T HARMLESS. IT HURTS UR BODY AND WILL MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE ABOUT TO DIE. NOT FUN OR HELPFULL AT ALL. I CAN'T SAY THAT YOU SHOULD DO THE REAL THING BUT HONESTLY I DON'T KNOW ANYONE THAT IT HAS HURT. AND I KNOW THAT IT HAS HELPED ME WITH MY PROBLEMS. SO AS LONG AS YOU DON'T SIT AT HOME EVERYDAY AND LET IT BE ALL THAT YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE THEN I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH SOMEONE SMOKEING IN THE PRIVOSY OF THIER OWN HOME.
@NOT FOR IT BUT IT'S NOT A BAD THING... Thank you for your comment. While we agree with you that Spice is very dangerous, marijuana is not harmless.
@Globetrotta CAN I ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE NO HEALTH PROBLEMS AND MOST LIKELY HAVE NEVER TRIED IT YOUR SELF? DON'T JUDGE PEOPLE THAT WOULD RATHER USE AN ALL NATURAL CURE FOR THE ILLNESS THAT EFFECTS THEM. ANYTHING CAN KILL YOU NOW DAYS SO THE WAY I SEE IT YOUR MORE PRONE TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING THAN TO DIE FROM POT. I HAVE NEVER KNOWN ANYONE WHO HAS "DIED" FROM IT. SO DON'T HATE.
@NOT FOR IT BUT IT'S NOT A BAD THING... Actually, @Globetrotta is absolutely right. Marijuana affects a driver’s attention, perception of time and speed, and judgment. In addition, the more marijuana in your system when driving, the more likely you will be the cause of a deadly accident.
Wow, this is very eye-opening. I have a friend who owns a truck driving school (commercial link removed, per guidelines) and I'm going to tell him that Spice is marketed as incense at truck stops to see if he can include some drug training to his students. I know a lot of young kids go to his school and since they are in a position to be driving on our roads, I think it should be part of their education.
can this lead to suicide
There have been reports that a few people have attempted suicide after consuming “Spice.” But, at this time, there is no evidence that these people attempted suicide because they took Spice. Actually, there is not a lot of research on Spice and, so far, there have been no scientific studies of its effects on the human brain. We do know that some users report psychotic effects like extreme anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations—and Spice abusers who have been taken to Poison Control Centers and ERs report symptoms that include rapid heart rate, vomiting, agitation, confusion, and hallucinations. For more information on Spice, visit http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/spice-synthetic-marijuana.
SPICE HAD BECOME THE NEW CRACK!!!! TO ALL YOU USERS YOU JUST DONT KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE FOR A LOVED ON TO LOOK AT YOU STONED OUT OF YOUR [expletive deleted, per guidelines] MIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT IS NOTHING LIKE A POT HIGH.!!!
AND WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU!?!? ALL THAT I SEE IS NOTHING BUT A NEW FORM OF CRACK FROM THE 80'S!!!!!
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