The use of herbal products containing synthetic cannabinoid agonists are popular among consumers because they are seldom detectable on standard workplace drug screens, according to survey data published online in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Investigators at John Hopkins University and Towson University in Maryland conducted an Internet survey of adults who reported lifetime use of a synthetic cannabinoid retail product such as K2 or Spice.
Researchers reported: “Respondents were primarily male, Caucasian and [possessed at least] 12 years of education. … Spice products were most frequently obtained from retail vendors and smoked, though other forms of ingestion were endorsed. … Primary reasons for use were curiosity, positive drug effect, relaxation, and to get high without having a positive drug test.”
In March, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) exercised its ’emergency scheduling authority’ to criminally prohibit the possession and sale of several of the synthetic cannabinoids contained in over-the-counter products such as Spice.
NORML takes no official position regarding the use or regulation of these synthetic products.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: [email protected]. Full text of the study, “A survey study to characterize use of Spice products (synthetic cannabinoids),” appears online in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
