Legal drugs?
K2 is a mixture of herbs and certain cannabinoids that gets you high when you smoke it. Synthetic weed. It’s similar to marijuana except for:
So since it’s legal, it must be okay, right? Not so fast…
Synthetic marijuana composition
What can someone add to the ingredients of the drug? Answer: practically anything. Over the years, there have been situations when illegal drugs purchased on the street were found to have harmful, even deadly ingredients added to them. It is not too farfetched to conjecture that something similar will eventually happen to users of K2.
Dr. Corey Herbert, a medical editor for TV station WDSU in New Orleans, is concerned about that very situation. He states “Every time you use supplements like this one or anything else, it’s really like playing Russian Roulette because you have no idea what is in that package.”
Long term effects
The drug’s creator, chemist John Huffman of Clemson University, stated his drug mimics the narcotic effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. He also cautions that his lab had developed the drug for research purposes only, and that “their effects in humans have not been studied and they could very well have toxic effects.”
As a relatively new synthetic, the jury is still out as to whether or not there are any long term effects coincident with its usage. In ancient Rome, lead was sometimes sprinkled in wine for the effect it had on the user: stupor, disorientation, etc. We now know that ingesting lead can be deadly. Some even postulate the fall of the Roman empire can be attributed to the use of lead in that society.
For current comparisons, K2 and steroids can be viewed side by side. This latter drug was initially touted as a wonder chemical that could enhance athletic performance. But more recent reports of the adverse effects of steroids now make even a casual user think twice if the short term gains really supersede their long term effects. Can we expect cancer? Will the offspring of users experience birth defects? What about neurological impairments?
Testing for K2
It’s difficult if not downright impossible to find someone who has ingested the drug. This was evidenced recently by a drug testing company called Redwood Toxicology. A spokesperson said the possibility of being able to definitively conclude a person is under the use of K2 is very difficult.
The problem in nailing down a sure-fire test, urine-based or otherwise, is the moving target nature of the drug. Since the stuff was originally created in a lab and now other labs are producing it, any number of changes to its composition can be affected with very little ease.
The bottom line
Synthetic marijuana is still pretty new to us all. Little testing has been done, so it’s hard to say if it’s safe or not. What I do know is that a handful of states have already banned it. And we can expect more to follow. So if you’re considering trying out K2, your best bet is to leave it alone until more studies are completed.
What do you think about this new synthetic drug?
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I'm 16, and this is true. I'm writing this to warn people of this drug. I've drank, and smoked everything from pot to meth (no lie) I haven't tried everything, but I have had more than most. I started off with this brand called Red Dragon.. Back when I lived with my mother and my step father. he introduced me to legal after I admitted to smoking marijuana. I took a nice big hit.. and WOW. It was amazing!
I smoked legal for 2 and a half years. I never got sick, and I never had a seizure. BUT, I have seen three people seize and it scared the shit out of me. I called 911 for one of them, but the other two were moderate seizures. This was store bought Pin-Up. Not homemade.
I quit for about half a year (after it was outlawed in my state) but soon realized that the gas stations still carried it under the counter. I buddied up with one of the cashiers and BAM! 10g packs for $40. An amazing deal considering I sold it for 25 a g. I got curious though and tried it again. I instantly fell in love with the high.. again!
So.. here I am. Researching what damage I have done to my body, currently fighting addiction. I've noticed it's like cigarettes.. It's "easy" to quit but it's hard not to pick up another fatty. I admit.. I think about it daily. The high is like no other.
MY CONCLUSION: I believe over the 2 and 1/2 years I created a tolerance (explaining why I never seized or puked) but when I was living with my mom (about 2 years into smoking it) I noticed very sharp pains in my back. I was coughing terribly. I was scared. I still notice some things.. I don't like to talk about this but since smoking legal I believe I have become insane. I feel demonic and I'd like to know if anyone else feels this way.
lj lizzz i can relat to what ur saying at the end i have nvr been able to put it in to words but u done the best job of doing so i have cusumed over 300-400 3g bags of that stuff and its not good stuff i wouldnt dout it to be canser causing
I smoked it for a year, about 7 grams a day if not more,before being hospitalized with excruciating stomach pains. They put me on morphine but it didnt effect me because apparently the k2 was more potent. Ive been off the stuff for a couple of months, but im still experiencing hallucinations, doubling of my vision, extreme mood swings and headaches and an unexplaineable numbness in my hands and feet. Basically i feel like some vital parts of my brain were severely dameged or destroyed and im worried these effects will be permanent. K2 is posion.
I smoked Synthetic Marijuana and the buzz feels weird it also made my face pale and made me see things that arnt there nd it gave me visions so don't smoke it is bad for u but if u look on the package it or bottle it says not for human consumtion
I smoked fake weed two months ago, been sick since. Low left back pain, stomach pains, Weight loss, headaches, worried al the time, severe anxiety. Can someone please help me.