Known as “K2” or “Spice”, synthetic cannabis continues to take its toll on American campuses. Last week, 71 overdose cases were reported on the Yale University campus in the United States.
The students nickname her “K2”, “Spice”, “Black Mamma” or even “Mr. Nice Guy”. Still relatively little known in France, this synthetic cannabis continues its worrying growth on American campuses, where it enjoys an impressive reputation despite the health risks.
the CBS website reports that in mid-August, this synthetic drug caused more than 70 overdoses in the space of 2 days in New Haven, Connecticut, where the campus of the prestigious Yale University is located. Authorities say most of the overdose cases have taken place in New Haven Green, a downtown park near the University. 6 victims were found in serious condition but no deaths were reported.
A drug 100 times more powerful than cannabis … and much more dangerous
This is not the first time that this famous synthetic cannabis has taken its toll on young Americans. Easy to buy on the Internet, this synthetic drug is known to produce the same effects as real cannabis, but also to increase its effects tenfold. 85 to 100 times more potent than marijuana, it is also undetectable via screening tests because it lacks THC, the active principle in cannabis.
This does not prevent it from being extremely dangerous for health. Asked by West France, Dr Agnès Cadet-Taïrou, head of the Recent Trends and New Drugs Unit at the French Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT) warns potential consumers: “These molecules, synthetic cannabinoids, are numerous and differ depending on the type of drug. products. Above all, they are much more potent than THC. “
A public health issue in the United States
Hence the multiplication of overdoses across the Atlantic. CBS is also reporting that earlier this year, K2 was linked to at least 22 cases of severe bleeding – from the nose, gums and urine – in the Chicago area. In 2017, dozens of blank-eyed people were spotted tripping like zombies in a Brooklyn neighborhood after using the designer drug.
And the upsurge is not about to stop. In 2012, the National Institute on Drug Abuse revealed that 11% of American adolescents had already tested synthetic cannabis.
“These products can be sold on the Internet in powder or liquid form, but they are mostly mixed with crushed leaves resembling standard cannabis, continues Dr Cadet-Taïrou. They are also sold in so-called ‘e-liquid form. ‘, used with electronic cigarettes. And since there are a multitude of molecules, it is at the same time difficult to know precisely what is inside and there are no standard effects: for some, the product would have a relaxing, sedative effect; for others, it is a euphoric. But the side effects are numerous. “
The consequences on health are often disastrous: heart attacks, kidney and liver problems, confusion, discomfort, blood pressure, delusional and paranoid psychiatric states which sometimes lead to death.
The objective now, in the United States: to better inform the public about the devastation caused by K2 and to fight against its expansion among students and adolescents. To put an end to the proliferation of overdoses, the federal government has already banned many specific synthetic cannabinoids, while states and cities like New York have passed their own laws targeting other synthetic cannabinoids.
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