03/06/2018
What Is Synthetic Ma*****na?
Referred to as synthetic cannabinoids, it is usually composed of shredded plant material that is sprayed with a chemical analog that creates the same binding receptors in the brain as THC in natural ma*****na. Synthetic ma*****na is smoked similarly to true ma*****na, but the cannabinoids are undetectable to ma*****na drug tests, letting consumers smoke freely without concern.
Synthetic ma*****na was created by a South Carolina chemist, John William Huffman, in the 1990s as a way to imitate the natural cannabinoids that are found in natural ma*****na in order to do research on their effects. Though these compounds were meant to help better understand how cannabinoids interact with the body, they were never actually intended for personal use.
So, What Are These High Health Risks?
In an article from Forbes, Paul Prather, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, stated that our bodies have the ability to deactivate drugs as it metabolizes, but that might not be the case with synthetic.
“What we’re finding from our research is that some of the metabolites of synthetic cannabis bind to the receptor just as well as the drug itself – this isn’t the case with THC. The synthetic metabolites seem to retain full activity relative to the parent compound. So the ability of our bodies to deactivate them may be decreased,” says Prather.
People who have been taken to the emergency department for possible overexposure have also shown severe effects including:
High blood pressure, resulting in heart and kidney damage, and seizures
Violent behavior
Vomiting
Suicidal thoughts
Rapid heart rate
Severe agitation
Elevated heart rates
Tremors and/or seizures
Additional problems with their cardiovascular and central nervous systems
The National Institute of Drug Abuse often states the dangers of synthetic ma*****na as well as reiterates the contents of synthetic ma*****na are unpredictable because manufacturers frequently change the chemicals used, and pro-ma*****na activists believe that legalization is the only way to run the dangerous synthetic business away.
