News » Spice, K2 – the Synthetic Marijuana: the Good, the Bad, and the Deadly

September 28, 2010 by Aaron Turpen

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“Legal Marijuana” has been in the news in the U.S. as this concoction of herbs that have been common in Europe for years enters the United States. Many governments on the local level around the nation have been contemplating banning this alternative to pot. It is currently legal everywhere in the U.S. and the UK. It’s commonly sold under the package names “Spice” and “K2″ in head shops and herbal stores as an “herbal incense.” Users often comment that it has marijuana-like effects.

Many have heard of the new phenomenon, but most are unaware of its true nature: what it’s made of, where it comes from, and what its effects may be.

What Spice/K2 is Made Of
The packaging on the products will have a list of herbs such as Baybean and Maconna Brava, but will not list the primary active ingredients. The manufacturers are under no obligation to do so, as products not sold for human consumption (remember, these are sold as “incense”) do not require a precise ingredients list.

The primary ingredients in these compounds are synthetic cannabinoids; either JWH-018 or CP-47,497 (or both). These compounds were created by science labs to mimic THC to test the pharmacological effects of THC on human receptor cells. Some variants were also made as low-cost options for testing some electronic drug sniffing equipment.

JWH-018 is one of over 100 synthesizations of THC that were created by Professor John W. Huffman (whose initials name the compounds), a Clemson University organic chemist. Most of these compounds were used to find the physiological function of some mysterious receptors humans have for cannabinoids: the CB1 and CB2 receptors.

CP-47,497 was formulated by Pfizer in the 1970s and 80s as a test drug for the same purpose. This compound is commonly found in Spice/K2 packets sold in Germany, but rarely anywhere else.

What Effects Fake Pot Has
Users of this marijuana alternative have several claims as to its effects. Most agree that it gives “pot-like” highs, though relatively short-lived. Some also complain of more nefarious effects and emergency room doctors are saying they are seeing this becoming more common.

The high received, of course, is because the active compounds (specifically JWH-018) has THC-like reactions with neural cells, targeting the two cannabinoid receptors. It’s creator says that it shows an affinity for CB1, by about three fold (actual THC binds equally with both CB1 and CB2). CB1 is (by science’s best guess) where the psych-effects of marijuana happen while CB2 deals more with pain and inflammation.

The main problem with the unusual, non-THC effects that Spice/K2 seem to have is likely due to a combination of things inherent to the drugs and their manufacture.

The amounts of the active ingredient in each packet can vary widely with some having concentrations as low as 0.03% and others having upwards of 3% in one dose. Because the stuff is relatively cheap and easy to make, it’s a profit-maker for the manufacturers. Most of the drug is actually made in Asia and imported by various distributors around the world. This variations of ingredients, however, is where the trouble really begins.

The psychotropic effects are short lived, but even more so in lower concentrations. However, the side-effects that can be produced, which include “upper” type effects similar to caffeine or other stimulants and the psychosis that can occur are compounded with each new dose. Many users, when the high begins to wear down, use more synthetic marijuana to keep it going. Some doctors say this has lead to deaths, is often addictive, and has many long-term effects we may not yet realize.

Some users deny this, saying it has no real ill effects on them and they use it regularly as an alternative to getting arrested for possession of pot.

In which lies the rub.

Why Synthetic Pot Exists
Why would an alternative to marijuana exist? Cannabis is one of the most widely-cultivated plants in the world and has been for much of human history. We have receptors believed to be specifically tuned to marijuana and marijuana only. So why do we need an obviously more complicated, less-studied, less-known alternative to cannabis?

Because marijuana is illegal. It was made illegal in the United States in 1937 and that prohibition has only recently been reconsidered in parts of this country.

Resources:
The Story of Spice by Andrew Jack, Financial Times

Spice: the big issue by Tam Rounds, Utah Statesman

What’s the buzz?: Synthetic marijuana, K2, Spice, JWH-018 by Abel Pharmboy, Terra Sigillata/Scienceblogs

[via Utah Statesman]

Tags: cb1, cb2, JWH-018, JWH-073, K2, legalization, Spice, synthetic marijuana, synthetic pot