A Dangerous Illusion: Why Synthetic Marijuana Isn’t Safe for Anyone

Synthetic marijuana is fast becoming one of the most popular recreational drugs among young adults and teenagers, many of whom are drawn to it because it is advertised as a legal alternative to natural cannabis. Composed primarily of synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic marijuana is sold under a variety of brand names, each of which has a different chemical makeup and potency. However, the manufacturers of products like Spice, Black Mamba, Purple Diesel, and K2 take great pains to keep their ingredients secret, so users never really know what they are ingesting when they take a hit. Typically sold under the table at convenience stores and similar establishments, synthetic marijuana is readily available and has the erroneous reputation of being safe for use. 

Synthetic Marijuana: The Basic Facts

Synthetic cannabinoids, the primary ingredients in all varieties of synthetic marijuana, are a class of designer pharmaceutical drugs that were created to mimic the effects of THC, the cannabinoid found in natural marijuana. Synthetic cannabinoids do not in any way resemble natural cannabinoids on a structural level. However, like their organic counterparts, synthetic cannabinoids act on the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, essentially kick-starting their functional processes, which include appetite control, pain sensitivity, mood, and perception. Synthetic marijuana is produced by spraying packed wads of dried plants and herbs with a mixture of synthetic cannabinoids - the herbs themselves are non-psychoactive and are typically harmless. 

Synthetic marijuana does give users some of the same effects that are commonly associated with cannabis, such as a pleasant sense of well-being, an increased appetite, and altered sensory perceptions. However, synthetic cannabinoids are engineered to be far more potent than natural cannabinoids, and as such, the effect they have on users is far more intense and often leads to a multitude of chronic and debilitating emotional and physical ailments. 

Common Synthetic Marijuana Dangers 

The many physiological dangers of synthetic marijuana include the development of involuntary tremors, which sometimes culminate in seizures, intense nausea and vomiting, elevated blood pressure and heart rate, and impaired kidney function. Users also commonly report insomnia as well as an inability to regulate body temperature, resulting in incessant sweating. 

The psychological dangers of synthetic marijuana are just as frightening, and include extreme paranoia, delusions accompanied by vivid hallucinations, and in many instances, the onset of an unaccustomed level of physical violence. Indeed, there have been numerous reports of people turning violent after ingesting synthetic marijuana, which is also known to cause suicidal thoughts and behaviors. 

Of all the synthetic marijuana dangers, overdoses are sadly one of the most common and fatal consequences of using the drug, purely because there is no way to treat overdoses effectively. Since manufacturers never list the chemical ingredients in their products, emergency personnel cannot effectively counteract the drug when trying to treat an overdose. 

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), emergency department visits involving synthetic cannabinoids rose from an estimated 11,406 in 2010 to 28,531 in 2011 — a more than two-fold increase. A subsequent analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that between 2010 and 2015, there were 456 reported cases of synthetic cannabinoid intoxication, with three confirmed fatalities. However, experts believe that many synthetic cannabinoid related deaths go unreported, especially in cases of multiple drug toxicity.  

The Enduring Consequences of Smoking Synthetic Marijuana

One of the biggest synthetic marijuana dangers is the fact that synthetic cannabinoids remain in the body a lot longer than natural cannabinoids do, making their effects that much more enduring. Many users have reported experiencing effects that last for days and even weeks, including tachycardia, intense nausea, and reduced kidney function, all of which require medical intervention to resolve. Long-term users of synthetic marijuana are susceptible to even more dangers, most of which can lead to fatal consequences. Since the drug causes cardiac and renal distress, long-term use routinely results in a rapid deterioration of cardiac and kidney function, with the ultimate consequence being coma and death. 

Despite the marketing hype that falsely labels this drug as both safe and legal, synthetic marijuana is neither. Over the last decade, multiple deaths have been reported around the world that have been directly linked to the use of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs). In England, from 2012-2019, 165 deaths were linked via post-mortem toxicology to synthetic cannabinoid use, with fatalities increasing significantly year on year. According to the National Poison Data System, as of February 2024, U.S. poison centers had logged at least 91 calls related to synthetic cannabinoid exposures in that month alone. Taken together, these figures reveal the growing global toll of synthetic marijuana—a substance composed of Schedule I controlled compounds that remains illegal and dangerously unfit for human use.