“Spice” or “K2” Addiction in 2023: Everything You Need to Know

Despite best efforts, the medical community, along with law enforcement, continues to struggle with the introduction of dangerous, new drugs. One of the latest drugs is known as “Spice,” also called “K2.” Spice is a form of synthetic marijuana and is considered very dangerous. 

Spice and its relatives (new psychoactive substances, or NPSs) fall into a new class of drugs called “synthetic cannabinoids.” These are artificial chemicals that work to imitate the effects of THC, the active chemical found in recreational marijuana. But they are different, and K2 could put lives at serious risk. 

Knowing the differences between the two, how they appear, and how they threaten users’ health is more important than ever. These new drugs continue to spread; their use has risen dramatically over the last few decades and shows no signs of slowing down. 

The Differences Between Spice and Marijuana

Cannabis is a natural plant, while Spice is not. Clandestine laboratories, often in China, manufacture artificial cannabis and ship it to the US. But the differences don’t stop there. 

Cannabis users smoke dried leaves or ingest them in food. At first glance, Spice works similarly. Users can smoke it, steep it in tea, or use it in liquified Spice in e-cigarettes.

Spice manufacturers dissolve synthetic cannabis in acetone and spray it onto their plant of choice, which burns with the leaves when smoked. In its “natural” form, this K2 is a white powder. The additives used to make it consumable are dangerous even without Spice involved. 

Other Names for Spice 

Street names change fast. Doctors and concerned parents may struggle to differentiate artificial cannabinoids from real ones. Knowing the right drug to treat can be a matter of life and death in a crisis. Some nicknames for synthetic cannabinoids include: 

• Synthetic marijuana 
• Fake weed 
• Herbal incense 
• Potpourri 

A telltale sign of artificial cannabis is the warning label “not for human consumption.” K2 manufacturers print this message to avoid liability if their product injures or kills a user.

Spice is Stronger 

Synthetic products are not necessarily more dangerous than natural ones. For synthetic cannabinoids, however, that assumption is valid. While Spice targets the same chemical receptors as THC (the active chemical in cannabis), it produces a more potent high. This powerful high deadens the brain’s pleasure circuit even more than cannabis, which increases the chances of addiction compared to marijuana. 

Someone under the influence of cannabis experiences improved mood and potent relaxation, but their awareness and perception of reality change. 

Consequences of Using Spice

Relaxation and altered perception sound harmless. At a minimum, the user should avoid all potentially dangerous tasks like driving, operating machinery, etc. The same applies to natural cannabis. 

K2, as a more potent but less studied drug, poses an even greater danger. The medical community doesn’t have enough information to predict how other drugs and life situations interact with Spice. So far, K2’s wider availability has revealed few known, predictable, and severe psychosis symptoms. 

Psychosis

Psychosis describes a dangerous collection of symptoms where the patient loses touch with reality. Their disordered thoughts confuse delusion and the real world. People with psychosis experience many symptoms; K2 users often experience: 

• Extreme anxiety—exaggerated fear of imagined or mundane things 
• Confusion 
• Paranoia—extreme and dangerous mistrust of others 
• Hallucinations—seeing and hearing things that aren’t there

Spice users abuse drugs to have a good time. Psychosis means that unless the user is in the safest environment possible, they can be a danger to themselves and others. 

Side Effects 

Other side effects of synthetic cannabis use include an increased heart rate and vomiting. Violent behavior and suicidal tendencies often manifest in users who experience psychological side effects. When combined with delusions, these cognitive distortions put users in a dangerous mental state.

Addiction 

Doctors need more data on synthetic cannabinoids like K2 before they understand underlying addiction mechanisms. However, the scientific community is certain that it is addictive. Someone with Spice withdrawal can develop headaches, anxiety, depression, or experience severe irritability. 

Spice addiction and withdrawal are especially dangerous because we know so little about it. Current drugs can’t treat the addiction itself—only the symptoms.  

Overdose 

Like other drugs, users can overdose on K2. Reactions to high blood toxicity levels, elevated blood pressure, reduced blood supply to the heart, kidney damage, and seizures accompany synthetic cannabinoid overdose. 

Users who are in poor health or otherwise vulnerable to these conditions put themselves at greater risk when using “herbal incense.” 

Additives 

Manufacturers of synthetic cannabinoids use shady advertising and disingenuous labeling. Many spice-makers lace their products with other synthetic substances, such as fentanyl. The resulting polydrug ingestion exposes unaware users to serious and potentially fatal risks as the unknown substances interact. 

Rehab at SoberMind Recovery Might Be Able to Help

Anyone with a substance use disorder, be it from K2, alcohol, or other drugs, should consider residential rehab. Los Angeles drug users face a fluid and uncertain drug market, and the dangers of addiction grow each day. 

If you’re suffering from addiction and aren’t sure where to go, consider an intensive outpatient program. Our Los Angeles IOP has the tools to help you face withdrawal symptoms and move forward with recovery. Contact us to learn more about our benefits, which include dual-diagnosis treatment, specialized therapy programs, and more.