Cannabinoids

Cannabis comes from the marijuana plant. It contains delta-9 tetrahydro-cannabinol which is commonly referred to as THC. Marijuana is used loosely to refer anything with the psychoactive effects similar to THC. Getting “high” is generally the purpose of using marijuana. Many other substances result in a similar “ igh” and are chemically similar to THC. These are called cannabinoids. Made in a lab, these are often sprayed on dried plant matter and then marketed as “synthetic marijuana.” These include such products as K2 and Spice.

Some states have legalized marijuana use, while others still designate it as illegal. Use is becoming more frequent, even crossing state borders. Testing has also become more complicated. The cannabinoids may not show positive on THC sensitive drug screens. Testing has had to be more sophisticated to pick up the synthetic cannabinoids.

A recent development has been the practice of lacing marijuana (and many other drugs) with fentanyl to make it more addictive. Fentanyl is an opioid pain reliever, and new concentrated forms have been introduced which are extremely potent and extremely dangerous. Opioid induced deaths have skyrocketed over the past few years, primarily because of lacing other drugs (such as marijuana) with fentanyl. This has significantly increased the danger of using any drug, including marijuana.

One in 9 people who use marijuana will become addicted to it. Despite legalization, it is clear that marijuana is not a benign chemical. It does have potentially useful medicinal purposes, but further study is necessary to sort out the benefits from the liabilities.

For more information, go here: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/synthetic-cannabinoids