Legal Spice Drug Circumvents Darien Police
More by Emily CloseNEIRAD enilno edition
Weed, dope, reefer, pot, etc. are all terms that every high schooler has heard at least once amongst the crowded hallways of Darien High School. Marijuana is an unavoidable fear for parents and a reality for students, and now there is a form of it that’s legal. Synthetic forms of pot are becoming more readily available to users with the creation of the new product commonly known as Spice.
Synthetic cannabis has “smoked” its way subtly through America’s economy. The growth in popularity led Connecticut to outlaw the drug this month. Spice must be off all store shelves by Dec. 24. This drug first made its debut in Europe around 2004, and ever since has been growing wildly popular. The intent of this herbal substance, which is marketed as incense, is to replace the illegal form of marijuana. Spice is composed of one or more manmade compounds that replicate the performance of prohibited cannabises, including chemicals such as THC.
What makes Spice so appealing to users is the fact that it cannot be detected by a drug test and it is perfectly legal throughout most of the United States and, more specifically, in Connecticut.
Although this seems like the ideal loophole for legal drug use, the use of Spice has put law enforcement officials of Connecticut in a tough situation. Detective Sam Boccuzzi of the Darien Police Department says, “We are trying to get out the message that it’s dangerous, it will most likely be taken off the market soon.”
The production of Spice has allowed consumers who are 18 and older to buy and use this drug as a legal substitute for marijuana. One can easily purchase K2 or Spice from the Internet, but wholesaler websites are more furtive about revealing where they actually get the product. It can also be purchased at retail outlets and gas stations. For example, Spice is sold right over the border of Darien in Norwalk at Utopia, but one must be 18 years or older to buy it. Retailers are not open about the suppliers of this synthetic marijuana.
An officer of a police department in a neighboring town, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Neirad, “I’ve heard of this drug but it’s not a real problem in our town - wealthy suburban kids use it while poorer urban areas typically use the real form of marijuana.”
A member of the DHS community who wishes to remain anonymous heard of the product while hanging out at a friend’s house. According to this user it felt "different than marijuana; more powerful and tastes like chemicals." A Neirad poll determined that out of 65 students polled, nine were familiar with Spice.
“Fake marijuana” has recently sparked concentrated interest within the scientific, legislative, and social world. Renowned chemist Dr. John W. Huffman, who is currently working at Clemson University in South Carolina, discovered two of the synthetic chemical composites used to produce K2, nearly 10 years ago.
According to Dr. Huffman, the compounds JWH-018 and JWH-073 originated in his group’s course of research. Dr Huffman explained through his extensive research that cannabinoids contain THC, the functioning ingredient in cannabis plants, which when mixed with other substances, can interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain and other vital organs.
How can a student function when they’re not able to control the own elements of their body? “I want to stress that these compounds were not meant for human consumption,” stated Dr. Huffman in response to the recreational use of Spice, during an interview with Neirad Enilno. Dr. Huffman’s work has been exploited by manufacturing companies seeking revenue.
“These receptors don’t exist so that people can smoke marijuana and get high; they play a role in regulating appetite, nausea, mood, pain and inflammation.” JWH-018 and JWH-073 are thought to aid in the growth of diseases, such as, osteoporosis, liver disease, and even certain forms of cancer. Dr. Huffman believes that synthetic cannabinoids can help the medical field create new therapies to treat these ailments.
The health risks this product imposes on its users are precarious and are still not entirely understood by doctors. Spice is made from crushed, plant-like material that is drenched in artificial chemicals. The compound can have negative effects that are generally not experienced when one smokes marijuana. For example two after effects of spice are increased agitation and vomiting. Both symptoms have led users to seek emergency room assistance.
Most students here at DHS can say that they’ve heard the typical signs and symptoms of a person who uses “the real thing” or any other drug for that matter. Symptoms include ones that can be as severe as hallucinations, memory loss, etc. The effects of marijuana are unpredictable and differ for every person, which is why marijuana users find themselves coming in contact with doctors more than police officers. Neirad Enilno interviewed four paramedics in Norwalk and Stamford whether they knew what K2 was and only one had heard of it.
Doctor Lena Patel of Stamford Hospital, who sees cases of substance abuse on a consistent basis, was able to give Neirad Eilno insight on what she thinks of K2 and its affects on the body, “In my years as an emergency room physician I have seen many injured from poor decisions following use of marijuana, I don’t agree with the selling of K2, I feel that if it has similar effects to marijuana, it will only negatively effect the body.”
Despite the grave side effects, spice is growing in popularity. According to an article in the Washington Post by Michael W. Savage, “the American Association of Poison Control Centers logged 567 cases across 41 states in which people had suffered a bad reaction to spice during the first half of 2010.” The article goes on further to state that there were only 13 cases reported to Poison Control in 2009.
Although K2 is not catching the eye of many buyers in New England, K2 is a commonly used form of marijuana in the Midwest in states such as Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, etc. A University of Michigan student, (who wishes to remain anonymous) gave an inside look how “spice” is affecting the community on his campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. The student said, “My friend stopped smoking weed and started smoking K2 instead, he said he got a quicker high from it, the only people who smoke it are the ones that need to pass drug tests.”
However, in Ann Arbor the student says, “The fine for possession of marijuana down here is $25, so most people just smoke the real stuff, 95% of my friends smoke weed, K2 is becoming too expensive to buy.”
The lack of awareness may be due to the fact that synthetic marijuana is “four times more expensive” than its illegal clone, according to a Darien Spice user. While spice offers a legal replacement to marijuana, it is not inexpensive. According to a Facebook page entitled, “Stop Getting Ripped Off On Spice or K2” one can procure 5gs for $20; 14gs for $40; 28gs for $80; and 56gs $140.
The danger of this drug has not only failed to be recognized by the general public, but by the government. While most countries in Europe, including several Scandinavian nations, have banned Spice, it is still legal here.
The Drug Enforcement Agency deems Spice as a "drug of concern". Numerous states have passed legislation making it a controlled substance under state law. In 2010, Kansas, Georgia, Alabama ,Tenessee, Missouri, Louisiana, and Mississippi just recently in September outlawed synthetic cannabis. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, several other states are also considering legislation, such as Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Indiana, and Ohio. The Navy and U.S. Air Forces have also officially banned Spice in January.
Connecticut’s legal position took a bit longer to put into play. But as demand for marijuana continues to grow, it is clear that people will no longer be able to slip under the watchful eye of law enforcement by purchasing spice, which is just days away from no longer being legally available to consumers in Connecticut.
Visit www.cga.ct.gov for more information about our state’s legislative representatives and the legislative process in order to voice your concern on this product.
