By the time Jonathan Brown or “Big Papa”—as he was so warmly referred to by kids in the community found out about the spice invasion—it was too late. His grandson was addicted.
The brightly colored packages of the synthetic marijuana drug, cynically designed to appeal to children, had appeared up and down major boulevards in South Los Angeles seemingly overnight.
Synthetic marijuana (Spice), sometimes referred to as “K2,” “Bombay Blue,” “Blaze” and “Zohai,” is a mixture of herbs, spices, and/or shredded plant material materials, which are responsible for giving the drug the appearance of marijuana. This mixture is sprayed with the JWH-18 cannabinoid or a variant of that chemical compound.
Designed to look like packets of candy or gum, Spice marketing duplicated what happened in earlier years with the sales of the brightly packaged blunts and small cigars known as cigarillos.
Spice is typically sold in gas stations or smoke shops. The owners of these establishments are often not of African American descent have no knowledge of the ingredients; all they know is that it is deemed legal and will increase the income of their business.
And because of its placement in the store (at youthful eye levels and intermingled with packages of gum, candy, cigarillos and even condoms), Black youth can easily buy the drug on the way to school.
Trying to find out what his grandson was using, “Big Papa” would question him when he thought he was high during their commute home. He would smell the boy’s fingers for the scent or odor of pot or the chemical odor of PCP. However, he could smell nothing. Unlike PCP and weed, Spice is odorless and sometimes takes a longer time for the high hit.
Brown was familiar with how to detect traits of a “smoker” because he grew up in South Central Los Angeles, and had plenty of practice experiencing and observing highs.
Then one night it came to him as he and his wife discussed the situation. It wasn’t weed. With fear in his eyes, he told his wife it had to be PCP.
But later on Big Papa would learn differently. His grandson said he had bought a brightly colored package sold at a gas station on Crenshaw Boulevard. The young man combined the synthetic marijuana with alcohol and ended up with kidney damage. Now Brown is focused on his grandson’s kidneys and quality of life.
One of the most common types of synthetic marijuana (Spice) distributed for sale illegally is sprayed with a cannabinoid known as JWH-18. This cannabinoid produces the high and was originally developed in 2004 by John W. Huffman, Ph.D., a research professor at Clemson University. Huffman created JWH-18 attempting to find a new pain killer that would react with the Endocannabinoid system receptors in our brains and bodies. The endo cannabinoid system impacts a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory. It is also common scientific knowledge that the cannabinoid molecules are the agents that stimulate highs.
Like Big Papa, many parents, guardians and law enforcement are concerned that more young people will be tempted—particularly during the summer school break—to experiment with this and other synthetic drugs which have resulted nationwide in more calls to poison control centers, more overdoses, more brain damage and more early deaths.
While some cities in Los Angeles County (e.g. Palmdale) have enacted ordinances against the sale and possession of Spice, the City of Los Angeles has no such law. Only “bath salts” (another synthetic drug) are prohibited under Article 6.6, Section 46.20 of the City of Los Angeles Municipal Code, but there is no existing ordinance outlawing synthetic marijuana. The closest thing is an ordinance against synthetic tobacco products. In 2011, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that creates new penalties for selling synthetic cannabis; anyone caught selling it will be subject to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail. San Diego County, also has an ordinance on the books against Spice.
Synthetic marijuana prosecutions are rare; existing laws are hard to enforce because it is difficult to spot what is legal versus illegal. Since the illegal compounds are not labeled on the package, the only way to verify it is to do a chemical analysis. It has become a frustrating task for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) because each time they label a chemical compound found in Spice an “illegal” controlled substance, the Chinese manufacturers of the chemical ingredient simply replace it with another equally dangerous compound.
The synthetic marijuana mixture is designed to mimic 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the primary psychoactive active ingredient found in marijuana. Spice is typically sold in small plastic bags filled with dried flowers and leaves. The contents resemble ordinary potpourri—the common room freshener—and that disguise can allow it to easily skip detection by law enforcement. Purchases are frequently made at “head shops,” online, and at some medical marijuana dispensaries. There have reportedly been busts at local gas stations as well as on ice cream trucks.
Users typically roll Spice into a joint, “blunt” (cigar wrapper) or smoke it from a pipe just like marijuana. The short-term effects are said to include a loss of motor control, a lack of pain response, delayed response time, increased agitation, pale skin, elevated blood pressure, heart palpitations and, sometimes, spastic body movements. Users can also expect a bout of dysphoria (sudden feelings of sorrow/anguish), paranoia and delusion.
The state senate in late May passed a bill that made it a crime to possess certain synthetic drugs. SB 1283, authored by Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-5th), passed 37-0 making it illegal to sell so-called “designer drugs,” but, ironically, not illegal to use or possess them. The bill imposes an infraction and a $250 fine for the first violation. The second arrest would result in an increased fine and required drug treatment. A third violation would be punishable as a misdemeanor. In 2011, California criminalized the sale and distribution of synthetic marijuana. Specifically, the law was an addition to the state Health and Safety Code Section 11357.5 which makes the sale, possession and distribution of synthetic marijuana a misdemeanor.
These synthetic drugs were first seen on American streets in the early 2000s and were originally thought to produce a “high” via a mixture of legal herbs. However, further laboratory study revealed that spice contains synthetic cannabinoids that have, generally, the same effect as the THC in marijuana. Spice ingredients contain a large and complex variety of synthetic substances; because of that, spice has become more popular since possession of marijuana is illegal. The man-made compounds accurately mimic the look, smell and effects of marijuana or hashish, but doctors warn that the unknown aspects of this psychotropic drug can lead to very serious health concerns.
In March 2011, the DEA declared Spice a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act which prohibited production, possession and sale of any of the five different chemicals used to produce fake marijuana. Early on, it was marketed as “tea,” “incense” or “herbs” and sprayed with chemicals that mimic THC.
Synthetic marijuana cannot be mixed with alcohol without making the user extremely ill. Also, the absence of a controlled growing environment means its purity and dosage are unregulated and inconsistent in each batch. Children and teenagers are naturally attracted to the packaging which often features popular cartoon characters such as “Scooby Doo” or “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
“The effects are much more unpredictable,” said Lewis Nelson, an emergency room doctor at New York University Langone Medical Center. “It’s dangerous, and there is really no quality control in what you are getting.”
More research is taking place regarding the psychotic affects of Spice. Some studies have suggested that synthetic cannabinoid intoxication is associated with acute psychosis, worsening of previously stable psychotic disorders and that it may trigger a chronic (long term) psychotic disorder among vulnerable persons. This may be particularly true for those with a family history of mental illness. Although the ingredients are listed on the packaging, the typical user has probably never heard of the plant material used: canavalia maritima (coastal jack-bean), nymphaea caerulea (blue Egyptian water lily), pedicularis densiflora (Indian warrior), leonotis leonurus (lion’s tail) or zornia latifolia (maconha brava).
Unlike THC, which does not stay in the system for very long (about 10 days), the chemicals used to make Spice are said to be much stronger and bind more permanently to receptors in the body. They remain longer in the brain, blood stream and other organs. Because Spice is not as quick to bind to receptors in the body as THC, there is an increased risk of overdose as individuals ingest more because they cannot immediately feel the “high.” Spice does not show up in traditional urine analysis which can add to the difficulty of detection at drug rehabilitation clinics. Those persons in recovery can easily hide their use and appear to be “clean.”
In July 2012, the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act was signed into law, thereby banning synthetic compounds commonly found in Spice and labeling the drug a Schedule 1 agent. These drugs are not considered legitimate for commercial use and include mescaline (peyote), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), heroin and marijuana. Because the chemicals used in Spice have a high potential for abuse and no medical benefit, the DEA has designated the five active chemicals most frequently found in Spice as Schedule 1 controlled substances, making it illegal to sell, purchase or possess them. Some manufacturers may attempt to evade these legal restrictions by substituting different chemicals in their mixtures. Trouble is, some of those mixtures may be poisonous and have no active use in the human body.
There have been no scientific studies of Spice’s effects on the brain, yet the typical results of smoking spice (elevated mood, relaxation, and altered perception) are said to be much stronger and last longer than marijuana. Some users have reported paranoia and hallucinations. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) also reports that Spice can raise blood pressure and cause reduced blood supply to the heart (myocardial ischemia), and in a few cases it has been associated with heart attacks. Regulars users, the NIH found, may experience withdrawal and addiction symptoms.
Spice products are popular among young people; it is second only to marijuana among the illicit drugs most used by high school seniors, according to the NIH. They found in 2012 that Spice use is more popular among boys than girls. Additionally, easy access and the misperception that Spice products are “natural” and therefore “harmless” have likely contributed to their increased popularity. In 2012, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department seized more than $50 million in Spice from Anaheim south to San Juan Capistrano.
Another synthetic drug, “251,” acts as a psychedelic hallucinogenic—similar to LSD and ecstacy—and use often results in violent episodes. It is a powdered substance listed on certain websites as a “research chemical” that can be dissolved in a liquid, sprayed on blotter paper and ingested like a “tab” of LSD. When consumed, 251 binds to receptors in the nervous system and can cause psychotic behavior.
“Bath salts,” another illegal synthetic drug, resembles bathing products and are often sold in 50-milligram packets for $25 to $50 each. They are snorted to produce the same feelings of euphoria like cocaine or amphetamines. High doses can cause panic attacks, paranoia and delirium. Two years ago L.A. County health officials warned against the use of bath salts because of the skyrocketing number of calls to poison control centers..
