Herbal incense sprayed with synthetic compounds has become quite a popular substitute for marijuana. Whether it's a good or bad imitation for weed doesn't really matter; the real attraction is that K2 gets the user high and the drug doesn't show up in employment drug tests. But there is one catch: Incense is not intended for human consumption. In fact, curious young people and adults who are supposed to know better, are damaging their health – are even risking death – by smoking the chemically-laced blends of herbs, flowers and tobacco.
Has anyone died from smoking K2 or K3? What does the American Association of Poison Control Centers have to say about synthetic marijuana? Will K2, K3 and other herbal blends like it become illegal now that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has issued a ban on selling the blends?
K2 and K3 are Dangerous to Human Health
K3 is the supposedly new and improved version of K2. Sold as "Pep Spice", "Genie", "Ocean Blue" or any other in a long list of catchy names, both K2 and K3 incense are legal in U.S. – sort of. Medical authorities and law enforcement officers hope that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will change all that. Both K2 and K3 are putting users in the hospital.
Is smoking K2 or K3 incense really that bad for your health? Or, is the claim just a lot of hype and media scare tactics? Should parents be concerned that smoking the so-called "fake marijuana" might cause long-term health issues – even death – to their children? Just what exactly is the real danger in smoking K2 and K3 incense?
The website, Fox4now, shares K2/K3 facts in Marisa Mendelson's report titled, " K3 Incense: A New Danger to Teens' Health " (July, 2010). Mendelson comments: "K-2 is a new kind of synthetic marijuana but undercover drug officers say it's much stronger and could even kill." She interviewed one southwest Florida drug officer, Sergeant Doro, who says, "It's not like regular marijuana. It has numerous side effects, above and beyond the high you get similar to marijuana and it can hurt people, put you in the hospital."
The news report mentioned above is an effort to get the word out to warn parents of the dangers of K2 and K3. What do people say that have tried K2 or K3? Check out what several hundred K2 smokers have to say in the comments section posted at the end of a related article I posted nine months ago: "Teenagers Smoking K2 Have Authorities Incensed" (Mary King, Suite101, March 2010).
Deaths From Smoking K2 or K3
Who knows what chemicals are sprayed on the K2/K3 blends that are imported from outside the U.S. It's too soon to know what long-range effects K2 and K3 have on the body. Some of the symptoms reported from smoking K2 and K3 incense include:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Agitation
- Intense Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Elevated blood pressure
- Nausea and vomiting
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Death
Reporter Heather MacWilliams reports on the news website, Fox59, about a mother that died from smoking K2. In her report, "Mother Dies After Smoking Spice" (Aug.4, 2010), MacWilliams reports, "And since [Spice] is not regulated by the Federal Drug Administration, the drug is to blame for a growing number of hospital visits. At least eight patients in Marion County have been treated in emergency rooms after smoking spice. And it's believed to be responsible for at least two other deaths in Indiana."
Is the High from Smoking K2 or K3 Worth the Health Risks?
The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) has information regarding the use of synthetic marijuana. Jessica Wehrman comments in the online PDF article: "Fake Marijuana Spurs More than 2,000 Calls to U.S. Poison Centers This Year Alone" (Nov. 2010). Wehrman writes, "Jim Hirt, executive director of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, said those with questions about synthetic marijuana should call their local poison center."
In the same article, Wehrman quotes Alvin C. Bronstein, MD, acting director of toxicosurveillance for the American Association of Poison Control Centers: "Statistics from NPDS* show that this is an emerging phenomenon,” and, "The symptoms can be life-threatening.” *American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System or NPDS.
Intervention by The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to Control Synthetic Marijuana
The DEA has responded to the increasing number of reports from poison centers, a report on the increase in hospital admissions throughout the U.S. and the reports from law enforcement agencies, with an intent to control five chemicals used to make "fake pot" products. The chemicals to be studied are as follows: JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497, and cannabicyclohexanol.
DEA Staff have further intervened: "A Notice of Intent to Temporarily Control was published in the Federal Register [November 24, 2010] to alert the public to this action. After no fewer than 30 days, DEA will publish in the Federal Register a Final Rule to Temporarily Control these chemicals for at least 12 months with the possibility of a six-month extension."
The five chemicals name above should thus be treated as Schedule I substances. According to the website, Addictions.org (no author, 2010), on the page titled, "Drug Schedules", the information states, "Schedule I drugs have a high tendency for abuse and have no accepted medical use." And, "Pharmacies do not sell Schedule I drugs, and they are not available with a prescription by physician."
The Difference Between K2 and K3
How is K3 different from K2? K3 contains an herb from South America called Damiana – once thought to be an aphrodisiac – and other herbal ingredients that are used to make it more potent than K2. K2 contains the synthesized substance JWH-018, which is similar to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Both K2 and K3 look like incense or potpourri.
Still not convinced that K2 and K3 are dangerous? The website, SkyHi Daily News, posts a story by Tonya Bina, titled, "Synthetic Marijuana Worries Authorities" (Dec. 2010). Bina writes, "Black Mamba [a.k.a. Spice, K2, K3 and so forth] ... has been growing in popularity around the world since 2006 for its ability to go undetected in urine analysis testing and for its “legal” high. But health officials are becoming increasingly alarmed, since the drug can create hallucinogenic trips and has been blamed for one suicide of a college student in the U.S."
Teens aren't the Only Ones Smoking K2 and K3
In all fairness, the public shouldn't be misled about who smokes incense. K2 and K3 are popular with teens, but many of the sales come from persons 30 and older. How easy is it to find K2 and K3? Customers used to be able to buy the incense in smoke shops, gas stations and convenience stores, but that was prior to the DEA putting a halt to sales. Now customers will be forced to buy it from friends and sellers on the street.
Pulling K2 and K3 off the shelves isn't going to stop kids or adults from getting their hands on it. So what happens if a bad batch of street incense (intentionally or accidentally) gets into the hands of the public? It's a question of "when" and not "if". How can a parent tell if a teen is smoking incense?
The most popular question of all: Why don't the authorities just legalize marijuana; wouldn't that stop people from trying to get the fake stuff? Probably not. Chances are the price of "fake pot" would drop to practically nothing, making it attractive to young kids that just want to experiment and see what it's like to get high. With any luck, a kid can try the fake weed and not suffer any ill effects that will send him to the hospital. Unless somebody rats on him, his parents will never know.
Mary King - Mary King is a Suite101 Topic Editor for the Caregiver Support and Home Management sections. She has authored 5 teen-based novels.
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