Beware synthetic drugs

By Jane Bokun

Synthetic marijuana aka k-2 and spice are definitely different chemicals than the home-grown plants they resemble.
In fact, according to Dr. Mark Ryan, director of the Louisiana Poison Center. “Many of these things are not for human consumption.”
Synthetic marijuana can contain the kinds of chemicals that can raise dopamine and/or serotonin to unheard of levels.
“That’s when you start running around without your clothes or trying to eat off someone’s face,” Dr. Ryan said. “From what we have found, the effects of the synthetic drugs are hallucination, anxieties and more – we’re not really exactly sure.”
He said the fact that people call this type of marijuana synthetic is a misnomer.
There are two major ingredients that can act on the same receptors, but they are different compounds of drugs. For example, dopamine can cause a variety of anxiety and psychosis.
The synthetic marijuana can take many forms as well. Synthetic cannabinoids started out by being sprayed on potpourri.
Dr. Ryan said when people experience those kinds of overdose symptoms they usually go to the hospital.
“I ‘ve been getting calls from the hospital since 2009,” Dr. Ryan said. “It’s not like someone who takes ecstasy with a big increase in heart rate – fluid becomes an issue either way too much or too little.”
People say they feel really strange. They don’t feel like someone who has used marijuana. There are shaky motions and some hallucinations.
The initial appeal of synthetics, he said, started because they couldn’t be found on a regular drug screen.
Hence, the appeal of the synthetic drugs for young professionals.