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Spice Attracts Poor Communities and Causes Deadly Effects

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap radius”]I[/dropcap]n the past, CULTURE has highlighted the dangerous results associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoids, popularly known as “Spice.” According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Spice is commonly sold in plant form and is covered in man-made chemicals that act as cannabinoids. Spice is also sold in liquid form and can be vaporized. Although Spice has been marketed as a “safe” or “affordable” alternative to California cannabis, the harsh chemicals used to create synthetic cannabinoids can cause severe side effects and can even be lethal. As mentioned in one of our previous articles, “many users have reported psychotic effects that range from severe anxiety and paranoia to hallucinations. Other negative health effects reported by users have been vomiting, confusion and agitation.”

This past April, 15 individuals residing in Los Angeles’ skid row collapsed due to consumption of Spice. Although the number is staggering, homeless shelter advocates and city police stated that Spice-related incidents with individuals in skid row are a common and have happened already several times this year, according to The Los Angeles Times. Lieutenant Andy Mathis of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) states that its central division will be cracking down on the illegal sale of spice moving forward. “When you walk around Skid Row, there’s guys that will take a milk crate and just put single cigarettes on it and sell them for fifty cents a piece,” Mathis said.  Following the hospitalization of the 15 individuals HazMat crews were instructed to check the area to ensure that the incident did not pose a larger risk to the general public.

According to PBS in the first few months of 2015 alone there were 15 Spice-related deaths in the U.S. Most of the people using the toxic substance come from urban communities and are either low income or homeless a trend that’s being seen across the U.S.  In Washington D.C. for example, hospitals receive a reported three to five Spice-related incidents a night. Other examples of the Spice epidemic amongst poor communities have been highlighted by platforms like VICE, who covered its wide spread use amongst homeless communities in Brooklyn. After sampling a batch of Spice VICE correspondents revealed that the most prevalent ingredient in the substance was JWH-018, which produces similar effects to THC and has been banned by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

In California, Spice has been illegal since 2012 but that clearly hasn’t stopped its production and distribution. LAPD officer Deon Joseph told The L.A. Times that producers are constantly changing the chemicals used to create Spice in order to dodge regulations set down by the USDA. In October 2015, the DEA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cracked down on synthetic cannabis distribution, leading to the arrest of 16 people.  Unfortunately the city still has work to do if it wants to eliminate spice and its use within its homeless community.

Hopefully this serves as a lesson for our government that Cannabis legalization is essential, those who use the plant know for the most part what they are putting in their system if it is purchased from a collective that uses certified pesticides and administers the plant according to state and local regulations.

Instead of trying to mimic natural compounds with harsh chemicals as what why not have them readily available for use? There are much safer alternatives than allowing people to overdose from dangerous and potentially lethal substances on the streets. Synthetic cannabinoids like spice are not a safe or natural alternative to the actual cannabis plant, despite the marketing schemes used to promote the substance and should never be used.

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