K2 Synthetic Marijuana

K2 is an unregulated mixture of dried herbs that are sprayed with a synthetic cannabinoid-like substance, which is currently legally sold as incense. This product is also known as K2 Spice, Spice, K2 Summit, Genie and Zohai. The Missouri Regional Poison Center has recently reported several adverse reactions in patients between the ages of 14 and 27 years after smoking K2. Signs and symptoms include:

 

  • Tachycardia
  • Hypertension
  • Anxiety
  • Agitation
  • Hallucinations
  • Pallor
  • Numbness and tingling
  • Tremors and seizures

 

This constellation of signs and symptoms may suggest that K2 is contaminated with other unknown chemicals in addition to synthetic cannabinoid. K2 has also been used in combination with other legal and illegal substances. It is important to realize that K2 does not cross-react with tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) and is not detected by most drug screens performed in hospital laboratories.

July 8, 2010