http://spiceaddictionsupport.org/what-is-spice/
Spice / K2: Its Not What You Think!
Many people have heard about Spice or K2, also known as synthetic cannabis, fake pot, synthetic marijuana, legal weed, herbal incense and potpourri.
Most people, though, think spice is a seasoning for your food like paprika or pepper. They think K2 is a famous mountain.
And thats exactly what the makers of this dangerous drug want non-users to think
Most people have no idea how this awful synthetic drug is affecting millions of people all over the world.
The word is slowly leaking out, however, as reports to Poison Control and emergency room visits have skyrocketed over the past few years.
So, what exactly is Spice / K2?
What Does Spice Look Like?
Traditional smoked Spice/K2 looks like herbal tobacco, or natural marijuana.
Its actually made from dried plant material and chopped up herbs in a mixture of colors including beige, cream red and brown. The active ingredients are sprayed onto the plant material.
spice diamond open packet
The most popular brands sold today are Spice and K2.
But Spice is actually sold under more than 500 names including Mojo, Scooby Snax, Black Mamba and Annihilation.
Cloud 9 synthetic marijuana droplets
Today, vaping the liquid form of synthetic marijuana is a fast-rising trend. The increasing popularity of e-cigarettes, vape pens and hookah pens especially in high schools and universities is the reason behind this shift.
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What Is Spice Made Of?
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In 2008, the scientific and law enforcement communities began to study what was actually contained in synthetic cannabis mixtures. The result of the scientific analyses was alarming.
Analysis showed that rather than being a simple mixture of harmless herbs, such as canavalia maritima, leonotis leonurus, zornia latifolia and others, the product had in fact been sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids.
These are not the All Natural ingredients listed on their packaging and on the sellers web sites. These chemicals are similar to natural cannabinoid found in marijuana, THC tetrahydracannabinol, but affect brain receptors differently.
Spice and K2 may contain one of many synthetic cannabinoids such as JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, AM-2201 UR-144, XLR-11, AKB4, cannabicyclohexanol and AB-CHMINACA, AB-PINACA or AB-FUBINACA. Even the prescription drug, phenazapam, has been found in some products.
Synthetic cannabinoids happens to fit into the same receptors that THC latches onto in the brain, so they can have an effect similar to THC.
However, some synthetic cannabinoids are 100X stronger than THC and many operate on other brain receptors, too.
This can cause a number of significant negative side effects including high blood pressure, blurred vision, heart attack, vomiting, seizures, hallucinations, and severe anxiety and paranoia.
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How Is Synthetic Marijuana Made?
Synthetic cannabinoids are produced as an oil or a crystalline powder that can easily be sprayed on plant material or any other low cost garbage the manufacturers can get away with to create a product that can be smoked and provide some kind of high.
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In liquid forms of Spice or K2, the variety of chemicals may be greater. Some suspect that a few brands of liquid Spice may contain traces of synthetic psychedelics such as 2C-P.
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Where Can I Learn More About Spice/K2?
While we wait for research to be completed, the next best way to learn about spice addiction is to listen to spice addicts and their loved ones tell their stories.
This is why we launched this site in 2013.
Since then, our users have submitted over a thousand personal accounts of addiction to synthetic marijuana.
The best 500 stories are available for you to read on this site. All of the stories posted here are real, raw and unedited (except for fixing typos/formatting).
The user stories and discussions on this site paint a consistent and vivid picture of just how addictive spice can be, for example:
*Detoxing from K2 or spice often takes a week or longer. You may have to take time off of work due to the withdrawal symptoms.
*Withdrawing from spice is extremely uncomfortable. Common withdrawal symptoms include extreme vomiting and diarrhea, inability to eat or drink, inability to focus, fatigue and extreme insomnia.
*Serious health issues reported include extreme dehydration, heart palpitations, renal failure and death.
*Relapse from spice addiction is common. Some people who quit years ago still crave the drug. Nothing like natural weed.
*Some claim that ending an addiction to Spice or K2 can be as difficult as quitting crack cocaine or heroin.
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Here is a good read
glf about SPICE and the major effects
I know it is a very long, but it is worth the read.
Thanks ~