Is it possible to die from spice

Problems With Synthetic Marijuana This group of drugs includes K2 and Spice, two of the first names for dangerous synthetic marijuana chemicals reported to law enforcement and drug testing labs. The History of Spice Abuse in the U.

Synthetic Marijuana: Distantly Related to Organic Marijuana With Much Worse Effects Spice and other synthetic cannabinoids are human-made chemicals with some similarities to organic marijuana compounds, most often tetrahydrocannabinol THC. The chemical is often found: Sprayed onto leaf matter so it looks like organic marijuana.

Sold as a distilled oil for vaping. Added to herbal tea or food and consumed orally. Mental and emotional side effects associated with Spice include: Elevated mood. Relaxation, leading to sleepiness and passing out. Altered perception or awareness of surrounding people and objects. Delusional or disordered thinking. Feeling detached from reality. Other psychotic symptoms like paranoia and confusion.

Violent behavior toward oneself or others. Suicidal thoughts. Physical risks and side effects of Spice include: Rapid heart rate, leading to heart attack. Elevated blood pressure. Vomiting and other gastrointestinal problems. Breathing problems. Kidney damage. Muscle damage. Withdrawal Symptoms There is little information on how addictive Spice and other synthetic cannabinoids might be because these drugs are still very new.

These side effects are similar to withdrawal symptoms, and they include the following: Headaches Anxiety Irritability Depression Low energy Insomnia Chest pain Heart palpitations Breathing problems Seizures Medical experts currently believe that the severity of withdrawal symptoms is linked with how much Spice the individual abused and for how long.

Overdose: The Biggest Risk of Synthetic Marijuana Compounds Organic marijuana is a very addictive substance, but it is rare for people who abuse the drug to overdose on it. Overdose symptoms reported from emergency rooms around the world include : Heart attacks.

Severe kidney damage and failure. Psychotic symptoms that require sedatives. Questions about treatment? We're waiting for your call. Some of these substances may have been around for years but have reentered the market in altered chemical forms, or due to renewed popularity. Synthetic cannabinoid products are often labeled "not for human consumption. However, the only parts of these products that are natural are the dried plant materials.

Chemical tests show that the active, mind-altering ingredients are cannabinoid compounds made in laboratories. Manufacturers sell these products in colorful foil packages and plastic bottles to attract consumers. They market these products under a wide variety of specific brand names. For several years, synthetic cannabinoid mixtures have been easy to buy in drug paraphernalia shops, novelty stores, gas stations, and over the internet.

Because the chemicals used in them have no medical benefit and a high potential for abuse, authorities have made it illegal to sell, buy, or possess some of these chemicals.

However, manufacturers try to sidestep these laws by changing the chemical formulas in their mixtures. Easy access and the belief that synthetic cannabinoid products are natural and therefore harmless, have likely contributed to their use among young people. Another reason for their continued use is that standard drug tests cannot easily detect many of the chemicals used in these products.

The most common way to use synthetic cannabinoids is to smoke the dried plant material. Users also mix the sprayed plant material with marijuana or brew it as tea. Other users buy synthetic cannabinoid products as liquids to vaporize in e-cigarettes. Synthetic cannabinoids act on the same brain cell receptors as THC deltatetrahydrocannabinol , the mind-altering ingredient in marijuana.

So far, there have been few scientific studies of the effects of synthetic cannabinoids on the human brain, but researchers do know that some of them bind more strongly than marijuana to the cell receptors affected by THC and can produce much stronger effects. In several dozen New Yorkers wound up in hospitals, unresponsive to the outside world, after reportedly using these drugs. Earlier this year dozens of U. Tetrahydrocannabinol THC , the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain and body rather weakly, Burgin says.

But some molecules in the synthetic chemicals hold on with an iron grip; they can be hundreds of times more potent than natural pot. Their chemical structures often bear little resemblance to THC, and that is part of what makes them difficult to regulate.

In the U. Drug Enforcement Agency banned five of the earliest such compounds to hit the streets, and in Congress passed the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act outlawing 15 chemicals. Makers responded with creative chemistry, crafting other molecules that have similar effects and thus staying one step ahead of the law, says Jeff Lapoint, director of the Division of Medical Toxicology at Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center.

The exact formula in the drugs recently found to be tainted with rat poison remains unclear. Authorities at the state level are also trying to crack down. Lapoint says he has purchased packets of these drugs and analyzed their contents. The compounds he found within varied wildly, and he says those who choose to use them can never really have any idea what they might be putting into their bodies.

The original erroneously stated Feinstein is currently analyzing blood samples from those affected. Devin Powell is a freelance science journalist living in New York City. Credit: Nick Higgins. Already a subscriber?