Psychology: K2 Drug Use and Addiction K2 Drug Use and Addiction: Psychology

K2 use and addiction has, in recent years, grown to become one of the leading social concerns for policymakers in the U.S. It is estimated that approximately 11% of the current high school population is addicted to K2. This is a worrying trend given that K2 produces more harmful effects than naturally-occurring marijuana. This research paper examines the prevalence and risk factors for K2 use, the difference between K2 and naturally-occurring marijuana, and the possible solutions that could be adopted to address the problem.

K2 Use and Addiction in New York City

Recent years have seen a significant rise in the emergence and use of novel psychoactive substances, the most common being synthetic cannabinoids (K2) and psychedelic tryptamines. This study focuses on the former, the synthetic 'substitute' for naturally-occurring marijuana. The University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research estimated, in their 2011 report, that K2 is the second most-abused drugs among high school seniors in the U.S. (Bernock, 2015). Moreover, studies have shown a higher rate of use and abuse of the same among certain at-risk populations including young men involved in the justice system, active military personnel and LGBT individuals. Both single episodes of use and abuse have been seen to lead to some serious clinical sequelae including psychosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, seizures, kidney failure, and withdrawal symptoms. For this reason, researchers are focusing on increasing awareness among affected populations on the health risks associated with the use of K2. This research paper seeks to complement existing studies by examining the prevalence and risk factors for K2 use and addiction, the psychoactive risks associated with the use of the same vis-a-vis naturally-occurring marijuana, and the possible solutions for addressing the current usage and addiction problem. Empirical evidence shows the rates of K2 use to be particularly in the City of New York, despite the state government being on the forefront in issuing health advisories against the use of the same. For this reason, this paper will focus specifically on the reported rates of use and addiction in New York City.

Before embarking on the main discussion, however, it would be prudent to give a brief description of what K2 is, and how it is abused.

What is K2 and how is it Abused?

K2 is a man-made drug made by spraying incense, herbs and other leafy materials with lab-produced liquid chemicals to get them to mimic the action of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana (New York City Government, n.d.). However, K2 is not marijuana, and the chemicals used in its production are capable of causing some dangerous and unpredictable side effects, even worse than those experienced from the use of naturally-occurring marijuana. In New York City, it is illegal to sell, possess or manufacture K2; however, the use of the same remains quite prevalent because of its easy access and affordability, in comparison to naturally-occurring marijuana (Zawilska & Wojsieczak, 2014). In NYC, for instance, a package of K2 can be obtained for as little as $5 from local delis and bodegas. K2's growing popularity has also been attributed to the fact that it produces a 'high' that is more intense than that produced by naturally-occurring marijuana and the fact that it is marketed as a 'safe' and legal alternative to marijuana (Zawilska & Wojsieczak, 2014). In the city of New York, the drug retails under a variety of labels including 'Green Giant', 'Mr. Nice Guy' and 'Spice', and often carries a 'not for human consumption' tag to evade oversight from the FDA (New York City Government, n.d.).

Just as is the case with marijuana, K2 is abused by smoking, although it can also be prepared as an infusion for drinking (New York City Government, n.d.).

Prevalence and Risk Factors

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported in 2012 that 11.3% of the current population of high school seniors is addicted to K2 (Bernock, 2015). In New York City alone,...

During this time, the number of emergency department visits related to K2 rose dramatically, with EDs reporting an average of 120 such cases every two weeks (Bassett, 2015). The highest rates have been reported among residents of Central Brooklyn, Upper Manhattan and East Harlem (Bassett, 2015).
Addiction and usage rates have been found to be highest among LGBT individuals, with 27% of all cases reported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2012 being from this group (Bernock, 2015). Cigarette smoking and marijuana use have also been identified as potential risk factors for K2 use and addiction -- approximately 84% of individuals who reported K2 use in 2012 also reported a history of cigarette smoking, and 90% reported a concomitant history of marijuana use (Bernock, 2015). Moreover, between 19 and 30% of young men who had previously interacted with the justice system also reported K2 use in 2012 (Bernock, 2012). Active military personnel have also been seen to run higher rates of K2 usage than the general population -- an independent study by the Department of Defense, for instance, showed K2 to be the most widely-abused drug substance among active-duty personnel, with over 38% of the total personnel population reporting active use (Walker et al., 2014).

Risks Associated with K2 Use

The risks associated with the ingestion of K2 can be categorized into two -- effects on the brain, and physical effects.

Effect of K2 on the Brian

Very few studies have been conducted to assess the effect of K2 on the brain; however, it is widely assumed that the effects are very similar to those of naturally-occurring marijuana give that the compounds in spice act on the same cell receptors as THC, which is found in naturally-occurring marijuana (Zawilska & Wojsieczak, 2014). However, the intensity is stronger and more dramatic in the case of K2 (Zawilska & Wojsieczak, 2014). This is because the chemical composition of the compounds that are used to make K2 are unknown, and it is likely that some packages could contain untested substances that could produce effects that are dramatically different from what the user expects. Basically, the common psychotic effects of K2 include hallucinations, paranoia extreme anxiety, altered perception, elevated mood, a feeling of relaxation, reduction in psychomotor activities, disturbances of short-term memory, altered perception of time and changes in sensory perception (Zawilska & Wojsieczak, 2014).

Physical Effects of K2

K2 abusers at poison control centers report such symptoms as increased respiratory rates, dry mouth, hypo-salivation, vasolidation, vomiting, confusion, and agitation (Zawilska & Wojsieczak, 2014). Studies have shown it to produce complex cardiovascular effects including an increase in heartbeat especially 10-30 minutes after smoking (Zawilska & Wojsieczak, 2014). This increased heartbeat is often accompanied by a blood pressure increase and a heightened risk of heart attack (Zawilska & Wojsieczak, 2014). Zawilska and Wojsieczak (2014) found chronic smokers of K2 to run extremely high risks of heart attack and a long lasting decrease in blood pressure and heart rate.

Comparison of the Health Effects of K2 vs. Naturally-Occurring Marijuana

As mentioned elsewhere in this text, K2 is often thought to produce more powerful and unpredictable effects than naturally-occurring marijuana. Numerous studies have been conducted to compare the intensity of the health effects of the two. One such study is that by Winstock and Barratt (2013), which sought to measure the differences in outcome between 980 chronic users of naturally-occurring marijuana and 2513 addicts of synthetic cannabis. The study found that most users perceived natural marijuana as having more pleasurable effects than K2; however, they often opted for the latter because it was more affordable and more readily available (Winstock & Barratt, 2013). An independent t-test further showed the negative effects associated with K2 ingestion to be significantly different from those associated with natural marijuana (t (859) =18.7, p