Synthetic Cannabinoids
Hannah Parrott
Synthetic Cannabinoids?
Other names of synthetic cannabinoids include: K2, Spice, Bliss, Cowboy, Kush, Scooby Snax, among hundreds of other names (Neyfakh).
How Are They Used In Medicine? How Do They Interact With Other Substances?
How are they administered?
Physical and psychological effects? Affects on neurotransmission? Long term and short term effects?
Highs depend on which chemical consumed, but may include any of the following:
- Catatonia
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Vomitting
- Elevated heartbeat
- Elevated blood pressure
- Seizure
- Hallucination
(Neyfakh)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have linked SCBs to acute kidney failure (Neyfakh), though other long term effects aren't known yet as the drug is fairly recent (Featherstone).
Length of Effects?
Withdraw/Tolerance/Overdose?
People who have used too much SCB act weirdly. For example, a paramedic treating an unconscious man had the man unlatch himself from a gurney and crouch on it while growling at the paramedic before jumping off the gurney, out the ambulance and into the street. Additionally, when new forms of chemicals are released, there tends to be a surge of overdoses following it.
In the ER, when patients are being treated for SCBs, they need so many sedatives that they aren't able to breath and need intubiation, though throughout the entire process, they struggle violently.Addicts claim SCBs are addictive, though they are no studies to prove that (Featherstone).
Watch Host Hamilton Morris Debrief Our HBO Episode About Dangerous Synthetic Drugs. Vice. Vice, 11 Apr. 2015. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <https://www.vice.com/read/watch-host-hamilton-morris-debrief-our-new-hbo-episode-about-dangerous-new-synthetic-drugs-111>.
Social Concerns? Laws?
People who use SCBs and generally end up in hospitals are often homeless, poor, have mental problems, or have used SCBs for months or years- and buy SCBs knowing that it's a dangerous drug. Because many SCBs aren't illegal, some stores can sell it openly. Occasionally local officials can charge stores selling it with reckless endangerment, which would put them in jail for a year, but they usually can't do more. Some corner stores will even sell SCBs to children under a code word. All packets of SCBs say "not for human consumption" to further remove responsibility from the manufacturer (Featherstone).
Support Systems?
Addicts can go to drug rehabilitation centers where they can do detox programs, like one at Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare
Works Cited
Works Cited
Featherstone, Steve. “Spike Nation.” New York Times Magazine 8 July 2015: n. pag. Print.
Mills, B., A. Yepes, and K. Nugent. Synthetic Cannabinoids. N.p.: National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2015. Print.
Neyfakh, Leon. “What Is the Deal With Synthetic Marijuana?” Slate: n. pag. Print.
“Synthetic Cannabinoids.” National Institute on Drug Abuse. US Department of Health & Human Services, n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/synthetic-cannabinoids>.
Van Pelt, Jennifer. “Synthetic Drugs- Fake Substances, Real Dangers.” Social Work Today July-Aug. 2012: n. pag. Print.
Wang, Hansi Lo. “Surge In Use of ‘Synthetic Marijuana’ Still One Step Ahead of the Law.” National Public Radio. N.p., 11 Nov. 2015. Web. 7 Apr. 2016. <http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/11/11/455616893/surge-in-use-of-synthetic-marijuana-still-one-step-ahead-of-the-law>.
Watch Host Hamilton Morris Debrief Our HBO Episode About Dangerous Synthetic Drugs. Vice. Vice, 11 Apr. 2015. Web. 6 Apr. 2016. <https://www.vice.com/read/watch-host-hamilton-morris-debrief-our-new-hbo-episode-about-dangerous-new-synthetic-drugs-111>.