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Synthetic Pot: A Dangerous Option

Marijuana has been one of the nation’s most talked about topics ever since Jan. 1 of this year when the state of Colorado legalized the drug for those who are over 21-years-old.

Now the substance is once again brought to light due to two instances; the rise of synthetic pot and the decriminalization of marijuana in Philadelphia, PA.

These synthetic drugs have been on the rise for the past five years and are commonly known as “legal highs” or “designer drugs.”

The street names for these drugs are terms such as K2 and Spice which are both sold openly in stores across the country.

According to Time magazine, these synthetic drugs mainly come from Asia and are created by actual chemists. While they are not manufactured from the actual marijuana plant, they are made to resemble a similar high and side effects. “Synthetics are chemical compounds designed to mimic the effects of naturally occurring drugs like marijuana and cocaine while staying just inside the law,” journalist Eliza Gray wrote.

Time magazine also reported that a NIH-sponsored survey taken in 2013 showed that actual weed is the top drug of tenth grade students (29.8 percent) but the second most used drug for this age group is synthetic marijuana at 7.4 percent.

This may be for many different reasons. However, one of the main reasons people are leaning towards synthetic pot is because it does not show up on all drug tests.

“People report they will use the synthetic version if they can’t get the ‘real thing’ or in attempts to avoid a positive urine screen for drug test,” Suanne Schaad, the University’s Substance Awareness Coordinator, said. She mentioned that a few drug tests have been improved to detect synthetic weed, but not all drug tests can detect the man-made pot.

The first case of synthetic pot in America dates back to 2010 when it was found in Amarillo, TX. The town’s news source, Connect Amarillo, reported last year that a nearby town passed an ordinance against these drugs in hopes to decrease the usage and deaths caused by the synthetics. Included in the ban was the sale, attempted sale, or any possession of K2 or Spice. On Jan. 31 of this year, Connect Amarillo reported a new weed synthetic known as “Izms” had surfaced. According to the former ordinance decreed, the new synthetic was not illegal.

Although synthetic marijuana is one of the main “fake drugs” the nation has seen, others have been made up to imitate effects of cocaine or meth as well. Time magazine reported, “Substances typically labeled as glass cleaner or the now infamous bath salts are synthetic cathinones, stimulants that come in white powders that can be snorted, swallowed or injected to achieve a cocaine or meth like high.”

The most notorious case of these synthetic hard drugs was brought to light by Rudy Eugene, a man in Miami, FL. In 2012, Eugene ate the face of a homeless man and became known as the “Causeway Cannibal.” Although it cannot be proven, the initial speculation was he was high on bath salts.

According to Connect Amarillo, 53 synthetic drugs which mimic banned drugs have been made legal simply by switching a few of the chemicals.

Chelsea Chavez, a peer educator at West Texas A&M University, told Connect Amarillo that students are unaware of the synthetics’ capabilities.

“We took a survey on our campus and realized people don’t think they’re dangerous because they’re manmade,” Chavez said.

Senior political science major, Michael Hamilton, also fears that society does not understand how dangerous these synthetics can be. “Synthetic pot is way more dangerous [than real pot] and even its creator says that it was no intended for human consumption.” Hamilton added that the synthetic cannabis was initially offered as a combat for AIDS and provided an alternative to chemotherapy.

Since the synthetics drugs market continue to expand in order to evade breaking the law, it may be possible that there would be a decline in synthetics popularity if real marijuana was sold.

“If marijuana was legalized, I think there would be less use of the mock drugs,” senior art student Nicole Comito said. “The government could definitely take this business and make a profit, but I do not think they will.”

As of early this month, the city of Philadelphia was prepared to test this theory. On Sept. 8, Philadelphia officially decriminalized the use of marijuana. In other words, if one were to be stopped by the police while possessing a small dosage of pot, it would be a $25 fine rather than an arrest. City Mayor Michael Nutter was not initially in favor of the bill.

“I think the agreement ends up putting the city and our citizens in a much better place,” Nutter told CBS News. He also made sure that his signature on the bill does not mean he condones the usage of marijuana.

In fact, it was not Mayor Nutter’s idea to create the bill; it was City Councilman Jim Kenney’s.

“We’ve gotten to a place where it is out of the criminal realm. There’s no more handcuffs, no more bookings, no more criminal record,” Kenney said on Sept. 8. Police will not have to leave their posts and go to the station house to deal with this. People will pay a fine based on the offense: $25 for the possession of anything under an ounce.”

Although Mayor Nutter has signed the bill, it has one more week before it becomes an official city law. When passed, Philadelphia will become the largest city in America to decriminalize weed.

PHOTO TAKEN from hightimes.com