Spice usage creates a sense of calmness and increased creativity but nausea and amnesia are common after effects. Due to legislation, the drug is now illegal in the United States. Photo by Alison Brown
By Jake McQuiggan
Artificial marijuana, or spice, a new drug that has become popular in colleges and high schools is now deemed illegal in the U.S. due to the Drug Enforcement Administration regulations. According to heraldextra.com, the drug originally posed as a medicinal drug for illnesses such as glaucoma and cancer, but recent studies have shown that it has the same artificial chemicals found in weed.
Legalhighreviews.com reported that spice is rumored to give users a heightened sense of sound and color, increase creativity, provide a calm sensation, and have no feelings of paranoia. This would give users a high like traditional weed without the negative side effects such as chronic bronchitis, anxiety, increased heart rate,
“I have had experience on someone who has used spice and the drug decreases so much oxygen to the brain that it puts the person in a zombie like state and makes then feel terrible afterward,” RN April Paulson said.
Users actually suffer from severe nausea, unresponsiveness, and amnesia after inhaling the substance.
“The girl I worked on showed signs like she wanted to communicate but was unable to speak for over two hours. Then after coming back to reality, she was only able to remember seeing flashing strobe lights the whole time,” Paulson said.
HU-210 is a chemical that is similar to an active ingredient in marijuana that has been reported in spice. This chemical is responsible for the psychoactive effects of spice, which gives users hallucinations and extreme paranoia.
“The person can be a danger to themselves or others if equipment is involved,” Paulson said.
Another rumor that attracts drug users switching from marijuana to spice is that spice can not be detected in a drug test.
“Every substance can be detected in urine test, it just depends on the amount of time. Spice can be detected in a test within 72 hours of inhaling it,” Paulson said.
While spice has emerged onto the scene as a great alternative drug with no negative effects from consumption, in truth it is a artificial substance with deadly short term effects and unknown long term consequences.