K2 Synthetic Cannabis: Use, Addiction, and Health Risks

Introduction

K2 use and addiction has, in recent years, grown to become one of the leading social concerns for policymakers in the United States. 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 differences between K2 and naturally-occurring marijuana, and the possible solutions that could be adopted to address the problem.

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 paper 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 drug among high school seniors in the United States (Bernock, 2015). Moreover, studies have shown higher rates of use and abuse 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 chronic abuse have been linked to 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 about the health risks associated with K2 use.

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 K2 compared to 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 high in New York City, despite the state government being at the forefront of issuing health advisories against its use. For this reason, this paper focuses specifically on reported rates of use and addiction in New York City.

References

Bassett, M. T. (2015). 2015 Advisory No. 6: Increase in synthetic cannabinoid (marijuana)-related adverse events and related emergency visits, New York City. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Bernock, K. (2015). Education and tools to address the rising prevalence of synthetic cannabinoid use. Consultant, 55(9), 692–700.

Forrester, M. B., Kleinschmidt, K., Schwarz, E., & Young, A. (2012). Synthetic cannabinoid and marijuana exposures reported to poison centers. Human & Experimental Toxicology, 31(10), 1006–1011.

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. (2014). Increase in synthetic cannabinoid (marijuana)-related adverse events and related emergency visits, New York City. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

New York City Government. (n.d.). Synthetic cannabinoids (K2): Frequently asked questions for consumers. New York City Government.

Walker, D., Neighbors, C., Walton, T., Pierce, A., Mbilinyi, L., Kaysen, D., & Roffman, R. (2014). Spicing up military: Use and effects of synthetic cannabis in substance-abusing Army personnel. Addictive Behaviors, 39(7), 1139–1144.

Winstock, A., & Barratt, M. (2013). Synthetic cannabis: A comparison of patterns of use and effect profile with natural cannabis in a large global sample. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 131(1–2), 106–111.

Zawilska, J. B., & Wojsieczak, J. (2014). Spice/K2 drugs — more than innocent substitutes for marijuana. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 17(3), 509–525.