Louisiana legislators passed House Bill No. 173 in June, banning the sale of items which contain synthetic cannabinoids, or “fake weed” as it’s known on the streets.
These products, also called incense by manufacturers, contain a label that states the product is not for human consumption. However, it's being smoked like tobacco, boiled and drank like tea and smoked in drug pipes.
DeRidder Addictive Disorder Clinic Director Rodney Tilley has been trying to get these products banned in this area since May.
The Beauregard Parish Police Jury was in the process of creating an ordinance banning these same substances in June when they learned of the passage of the law banning it from the entire state beginning Aug. 15.
The synthetic marijuana is in small packages and is said to be more expensive than actual marijuana, but because it is not considered a tobacco product, anyone of any age can purchase it, according to Tilley.
Tilley’s explanation of the high one gets from the synthetic product as compared to the actual product is that a high from marijuana is a gradual up and gradual down, whereas the high from the synthetic version is an immediate high followed by an immediate spike down.
This immediate high can and has caused blood vessels to pop in teenagers’ eyes and has cause some to go into a coma.
Although drug testing has not been perfected to detect the synthetic drug, it will cause a negative read in a test, Tilley said.
The testing process in place now will not specify what substance has been used, however it will show up as a substance with a broad spectrum of possibilities.
Tilley said that since anyone can purchase these products, the effects are mostly on those 14 to 24 years of age.
The United States Army has already banned anyone enlisted from purchasing or possessing any of the synthetic marijuana products, such as Spice, Spike 99, Ex-ses, Skunk, K-2, Deliverance, Fusion, Yucatan Fire, Magma, Genie, etc., with punishment for doing so being a dishonorable discharge, Tilley said.
According to information Tilley provided from the U.S. Army:
The appearance of most herbal incenses appear as an olive green leafy material very similar in appearance to marijuana or oregano.
Marijuana-like effect is euphoria, giddiness, silliness, bloodshot eyes, impaired short-term memory and concentration and “munchies”
Common effects is cotton mouth, light sensitivity, a warm sensation in the limbs, dry eyes, paranoia, light headedness, auditory and visual hallucinations, painless head pressure, time distortion, panic attacks, delirieum, impaired coordination and sleeplessness.
Onset is 5 to 10 minutes and duration is 8 to 12 hours.
Other effects is that a number of users experience hangover-like effects the morning after use including dry mouth and intense headaches, while others have warned users against driving while under the influence of spice. Depending on the product, the inhaled smoke is as harsh as marijuana smoke and the taste can vary from very bad to very sweet, or as one user described it, “sickly sweet”.
Dangers, as reported by the U.S. Army include a post taken from the Spice website that states Spice Diamond is 50 percent more potent than Spice Gold [advertising stronger products]. Users are experimenting with combining different products, which can dramatically change or increase the effects.
Studies from Dresden, Germany support the suggestion that Spice Gold is strongly addictive and continued, heavy usage could result in withdrawal and dependency symptoms. Also, Spice may have an adverse effect on the heart, circulation and nervous system and in some cases could cause panic attacks.
The effects of many of the synthetic cannabinoids that are being used have not been studied, therefore, according to Tilley, “We just don’t know what all of the effects are.”
Tilley said that because there are several synthetic cannabinoids that these products are being laced with, it is impossible to know which package has which cannabinoid in it.
“A person could buy a package today with one of the synthetics in it and go back tomorrow and buy the same product in the same packaging and get a completely different synthetic.”
Since these are relatively new to researchers, the effect of mixing the synthetics or the amount of consumption of several different synthetics has not been determined.
“But we do know that it is bad,” Tilley said. “These store owners are selling this to our children without reservation or without considering what it could do to them.”
He said some of the store owners in this area claim that, “they have no control over what the customer does with the product once they leave the store.”
Although this is technically true, Tilley said he doesn’t understand how the store owners can turn a blind eye to what it is doing to the consumer. “It’s more important that they make a dollar.”
Tilley said one store owner in the Baton Rouge area told reporters he did not want the substance to be banned because his store made more money from the sale of “incense” than the rest of the store combined.
Parents should be aware that their children could possess some of these synthetic cannabinoid items, according to Tilley.
Not only will these synthetic products be illegal to manufacture and sell on Aug. 15,
it will also be illegal to possess them as well and fines and jail time will be imposed just as they are for possession of any other controlled substance.
Not all states have passed laws banning these products, however, Tilley is in hopes this becomes a federal ban nation-wide.
