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Recent reports revealed that the U.S. Navy is discharging 26 sailors over their use of synthetic marijuana. The sailors apparently used "Spice"–or an alternative to marijuana that mimics the drug's effects. Additionally, just last month the Navy also discharged another 64 sailors over their use of Spice and other drugs. A spokesperson for the Navy stated that the Navy has a "zero tolerance" policy and that all personnel are made aware of the requirement from the start. It isn't clear how the Navy discovered that the sailors were smoking, or when they were caught.

But what exactly is "Spice" or synthetic marijuana? Spice or K2 are both brand names for synthetic marijuana compounds that mimic the effects of cannabis and include both herbal and chemical components. Users claim that the synthetic drugs are more expensive than the real thing and that they give less of a high (depending on the blend) for a shorter period of time. They also add that some blends taste particularly horrendous and can be particularly damaging to your lungs and and throat. Also, drinking while using the products can create a bad headache at the base of the skull that lasts for hours. Overall, synthetic marijuana may be legal, but it still has its downsides.

For example, in recent reports, smoking synthetic marijuana has been linked to heart attacks and lung failure in teenagers. Three teenagers in Texas suffered heart attacks earlier this month after smoking K2, doctors say. Additionally, an eighth grader in Pennsylvania recently died after smoking synthetic marijuana and undergoing a double lung transplant to save his life after the drug caused extensive damage to his respiratory system.

2 Comments

  1. Gravatar for Storm Crow
    Storm Crow

    I am a cannabis activist. That synthetic stuff is POISON! It is often made in countries where quality control is an option! Even when made correctly, it can be 100s of times stronger than natural cannabis! "Bad trips" are common, and as the article says, there have been cases of serious heart damage recorded at PubMed, not just in news articles. The synthetic can kill you! Stick with natural cannabis- it heals and has never caused an overdose fatality!

  2. Gravatar for chris
    chris

    The eighth grader in Pennsylvania died from damage to his lungs caused by the melted plastic PEZ dispenser that he was using to smoke the spice not from the spice itself. Im not saying the crap is good for you,its not. But i am saying that if you are going to Blog about this sort of thing you best have all the facts. Not just the ones that make the story sensational.

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