Fake Marijuana Could Cause Health Problems

A Clemson researcher urges people not to use “fake marijuana” products sold under names such as K2 and Spice in a release issued by the school.

Dr. John Huffman, who first created synthetic cannabinoid compounds in his lab 10 years ago, stated that products using the chemicals were not meant for people to consume.

“Their effects in humans have not been studied and they could very well have toxic effects,” Huffman stated.

Some people found his research, which was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and made the chemicals, which were then sprayed on products marketed as incense, Huffman said.

Huffman said he originally created the chemicals to help study the relationship between the brain and cannabinoids, including THC.

Anderson County Sheriff’s investigators haven’t seen the product in the area, according to Lt. David Baker. they said. Baker said members of the narcotics division are aware that it exists and have been on the lookout for the product. He said County deputies regularly check area shops around the county and he hasn’t seen the product sold as incense either. Although it is legal, Baker said the deputies are always on the lookout for any up-and-coming drug.

Huffman said he would encourage the federal government to name K-2 a schedule 1 narcotic, which is the same classification given to marijuana. That would make it illegal and encourage further testing of the compound. Right now there is no information on its long term effects, and no test to determine if someone is using it.

Read Huffman’s complete statement below:

Thank you for your interest in my research. Requests for interviews have become too numerous in recent weeks for me to respond to them all. I hope this written summary will answer your questions.
The intense interest, of course, is a result of the appearance of so-called "fake marijuana" products sold under names such as K2 and Spice. Some of these products have been found to contain synthetic cannabinoid compounds JWH-018 and JWH-073, which were first developed in my laboratory more than 10 years ago in research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
I will briefly describe the nature of that research, but first I want to stress that these compounds were not meant for human consumption. Their effects in humans have not been studied and they could very well have toxic effects. They absolutely should NOT be used as recreational drugs.
These compounds are among many that have been created, by my group and others, in the course of research aimed at understanding the relationship between the chemical structure and the biological activity of substances known as cannabinoids. NIDA has supported my investigations in this area almost continuously since 1984.
Cannabinoids include THC — the active ingredient in cannabis plants — but also other substances that interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain and other organs. These receptors don't exist so that people can smoke marijuana and get high; they play a role in regulating appetite, nausea, mood, pain and inflammation. They may be involved in the development of conditions such as osteoporosis, liver disease and some kinds of cancer.  
Synthetic cannabinoids can help us understand these interactions, and ultimately this knowledge may contribute to the development of new therapies.
JWH-018 and JWH-073, and other similar compounds developed in this field of research, have been discussed in scientific publications. Evidently some people have figured out how to make them and are putting them in products marketed as incense.
Again I would emphasize the risk people are taking when they smoke these products. We simply don't know what the health effects might be.