One of the most interesting and least-discussed issues in drug policy over the past year is the emergence of synthetic marijuana products, sold under names such Spice and K2, which are being sold openly in head shops around the country. There's one important difference between this and the fake pot that's been advertised in High Times for many years…it actually gets you high.
The manufacturers behind this trend are reluctant to explain what's in their product, but the consensus seems to be that they've synthesized a unique combination of cannabinoids that aren't technically marijuana, but sure as hell do the trick. I'm not a scientist, but I've tried the stuff and it's legit. The effects, coupled with the fact that it's sold in stores and doesn’t come up on any drug tests is enough to get a lot of people pretty excited about it.
I'm a little confused about the legality of all this, given the breadth of federal legislation dealing with synthetic drugs. Nevertheless, legislators in Kansas and Missouri are trying to ban it, which gives the impression that it's legal for now:
Or maybe it will cure cancer. Jut because it's a drug and people like it doesn’t mean anyone has to die. In a sane society, the invention of a substance that enhances enjoyment would be considered cause for celebration, not a massive public health scare.
Decades into our failed and vastly counterproductive effort to eradicate marijuana, we have an opportunity not to ban something similar without first studying it to see if it's actually dangerous. If synthetic marijuana products are prohibited without any effort to understand them, it will prove that the anti-drug zealots care more about imposing sobriety than protecting health.
As advocates for sensible drug policy, we should defend the legality of new drugs as vigorously as we oppose prohibition of the old ones.
The manufacturers behind this trend are reluctant to explain what's in their product, but the consensus seems to be that they've synthesized a unique combination of cannabinoids that aren't technically marijuana, but sure as hell do the trick. I'm not a scientist, but I've tried the stuff and it's legit. The effects, coupled with the fact that it's sold in stores and doesn’t come up on any drug tests is enough to get a lot of people pretty excited about it.
I'm a little confused about the legality of all this, given the breadth of federal legislation dealing with synthetic drugs. Nevertheless, legislators in Kansas and Missouri are trying to ban it, which gives the impression that it's legal for now:
Missouri state Rep. Ward Franz, R-West Plains sponsored a bill that would add K2 to Missouri’s list of illegal drugs. That bill was heard before the House Public Safety committee Tuesday.
…
"We don’t know much about this, but it’s going to end up killing somebody," Franz said.
Or maybe it will cure cancer. Jut because it's a drug and people like it doesn’t mean anyone has to die. In a sane society, the invention of a substance that enhances enjoyment would be considered cause for celebration, not a massive public health scare.
Decades into our failed and vastly counterproductive effort to eradicate marijuana, we have an opportunity not to ban something similar without first studying it to see if it's actually dangerous. If synthetic marijuana products are prohibited without any effort to understand them, it will prove that the anti-drug zealots care more about imposing sobriety than protecting health.
As advocates for sensible drug policy, we should defend the legality of new drugs as vigorously as we oppose prohibition of the old ones.
Looking for the easiest way to join the anti-drug war movement? You've found it!
alc and tobacco kill people
alc and tobacco kill people everyday, and tobacco doesnt even get you high and it is killing people daily, prescription pills do not get you high at all and kill more people everyday than alc and tobacco combined why arent we making them illegal? Since when did the sole fact that it gives you a buzz or a high make it 100% justified to scedule it? Don't you people see its not about the drugs? its about control over you and drugs is the excuse to do so. and the only reason they are even getting this far is because YOU ARE LETTING IT. this government does everything it can to ignore and downplay these reform movements as if they never happened, so why not just start ignoring the drug war the same way they ignore reform? there is more americans than there is politicians. granted at first there will be arrests but then that will drag media coverage and fullscale internet popularity and then more people would be getting involved, and then thoes people would get released from jail and interviewed and once again more coverage, more people doing it. DRUG REFORM IS LIKE POGS or NINTENDO 2 WEEKS LATER THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS DOING IT.
Unknown ingredients
I heard about a product called "Serenity Now" that was supposed to be good.
The ingredients were listed on the site and were hardly hidden.
Mostly legal entheogens (blue lotus, etc.) and molasses.
'New' Drugs
Seems to me that if we do, indeed live in a 'free' society, the default position is freedom. In other words, availability of a substance should only be restricted if its use causes provable direct harms to other people than the users. Proof must be definite and quantifieable, and the requirement to provide such proof is on the prohibitionists, not the other way around. The only other basis for restriction in a free society is in the case of overwhelming provable social need, such as speed limits for cars which provably reduces accidents and death. Absent such proof, activities should be ignored. The prohibitionists fear freedom, the very tenet upon which our societies are founded, and as long as we allow them to restrict us without the above parameters, we do not live in a free society.
New Drugs
It doesn't matter what the drug is or when or how it was made. The problem with drugs are how they impair the user and will his/her impaired condition pose a threat to themselves or others. Users of this new synthetic marijuana do become impaired when using the product. This drug MUST be regulated to protect the people. "Prohibitionists" do not need to prove anything more than how the drug/product impairs its users. There are laws in every state of our wonderful country that will protect innocent people from those who use drugs and become impaired. The standardized field sobriety tests can be administered on drivers and pedestrians alike to show their level of impairment. The clear and well documented fact is those who use drugs which cause impairment have been found to be responsible for deaths of others. Freedom does not come without responsibility or accountability.
dumb
IT's really dumb how we let people legislate us to this extent. Every single time people find something new the government has to try to ban it. Welcome to the Socialists states of America
I-1068 to remove all penalties for possession, cultivation, and
Please, support I-1068 to remove all penalties for possession, cultivation, and sale of marijuana in Washington State. We need 241,153 valid voter signatures by July 2, 2010
Sensible Washington
http://sensiblewashington.org/
@ Primus
Well Said!
drugs "that end up killing someone"
What a fat juicy target he makes himself. Does he not know that alcohol is a drug or does he not know how many people it kills? Or is his worry that K2 et al might kill someone somewhere sometime somehow just so much crocodile tears? You want to save lives, Ward Franz, how about doing a lot more to fight alcohol abuse? That's where the bodies are buried. Instead he's doing his damnedest to force people to use the killer drug. Cannabis prohibition kills, not only through black market related violence but also through forcing people to use the certifiably much more dangerous drug/herb.
…it’s going to end up killing somebody
Two ways someone can die from Spice and K2:
(1) They can swallow wrong and choke on it.
(2) Once it's illegal, they can be shot by a cop trying to arrest them for its possession.
Giordano
Unknown means unsafe
These synthetic cannabimimetics are totally uninvestigated with respect to short or long term effects in human body and therefore quite unsafe.
Yes, you MAY die from it. Or develop cancer. Or other terminal or non-terminal deseases. Or MAY not. Who knows.
Thus, I don't see a specific need for advocating cannabimimetics. But, one should understand that their occurence on the market is a direct result of prohibition. Who would ever have used the dublicate if he could get the original?
So, K2 et al. should be seen as giving evidence that even arguendo prohibition would work such that people steer clear from illicit drugs it does not work such that it drives them from drug consumption per se. By contrast, it drives them into more potent (up to *800) and less investigated drugs.
I'm from Missouri were at
I'm from Missouri were at least this is mentioned quite a bit here lately. Everyone I know that has tried it or used it only did so to avoid drug testing, and would much prefer cannabis. I mean shit, I even have a navy buddy who uses it because of drug testing. If K2, JMH-018 (I believe to be the same compound) were found dangerous, it's the fault of prohibition. All this attention to it here lately makes me want to secure some of it to figure it out for myself, perhaps thats the point of this media whoring of it.
I did some research...It is safe, if used at the correct dosage.
after reading this post I did some searching on JWH-018 which is the active ingredient in K2, and it is a legal alternative to THC.
And it is safe....
At least it passed preliminary clinical toxicology tests. It does not cause cancer based on these tests. (if you search you can find the test results). The reason these tests were done is because this drug is being developed for use as a trans-dermal patch pain killer (or so the internet says). I can imagine that if it is banned, that might make it difficult to be approved as a prescription pain killer.
I would really like to see this drug survive legalization, and perhaps be regulated to over 18 only (K2's package says 18 and older only), and dosage be printed on packages. Just imagine if this drug, which produces nearly identical affects as cannabis survives and stays legal. That would seriously call into question why cannabis is not also legal, and that would be good for everyone.
Personally I would like to see every current black-market Cannabis user go out and try legal K2. That would be one hell of a shock to the black market. And the more people that try it, the more people that will scream at their government if they try to ban it, which I am sure is coming.
So go out there and get some, while you still can.
fake weed?
Please read this!! Look I smoke weed! I enjoy other hallucinogens. I have used Shrooms,acid,salvia,weed. Let me say this, the drugs I have listed were great for me. I have used them all many times. This is not me telling you that you should try any of them. There are many pros and cons to each. This is not the time for me to get into that. This is a warning to all. I tried synthetic weed. The exact name was SPIKE GOLD. Just like K2 or any of the other ones. I wish some more people would have commented about the dangers of this. Most reviews were positive about synthetic weed. For me however and a few others it was the worst high ever! It looked like weed. I took 4 hits. I was high in about 2 min. At first it was just like weed. About 10 min into the trip/high. My heart started to beat so hard I thought I was going to die. I thought maybe it would pass. Then after about 5 min I thought I was having a heart attack. The high was completely negative. Almost caused me to have a heart attack. IT didn't go away for about 2 hours. The fear produced from the high was worse than anything I have ever felt in my entire life. This is a warning not some crazy anti-drug person. Some people have had a good time with synthetic weed some do not. Please be aware!!
i cant quite figure out what
i cant quite figure out what went wrong with my experience with this legal weed but the first time of me trying it i loved it and became a frequent user of it and saw nothing wrong with it up until i found myself surrounded by the two friends i had been smoking it with asking if i was ok i had blacked out and would come in and out of being dazed the next thing i remember after that is the same but being surrounded by my parents frantically shouting to call the hospital i had been passing out for about an hour and was un concious not knowing what i was doing. I still cannot figure out if i just misused it or if this stuff is really dangerous..
helpppp!!!
hello i am in 7th grade and i am doing a report about marijuana in my English class and i would like to know why is marijuana such a popular drug to most people?? if any one knows can you please comment back in the next like 10 mins because i am in class rite now thank you(;
Not all the facts
I am sure you have heard about all the negative stuff on K2 but I tell you that the side effects are much worse on prescription drugs. Just cause it's legal does not mean its good.
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