What is K2 spice, exactly? Have you heard of it? Maybe a loved one has mentioned it, and a quick Google search brought you here. While an interesting name, K2 spice is not something you’d find at the grocery store or your kitchen’s spice rack. It’s a synthetic drug made to mimic the effects of marijuana. And it can also be dangerous, even leading to K2 spice addiction.
What is K2 Spice?
According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), K2 and spice are two of several product / brand names associated with synthetic drugs made to generate the same effects as THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Known as synthetic cannabinoids, K2 spice is abused for its psychoactive properties, usually via smoking, incense, or vaping.
K2 spice is typically sold in small plastic bags of dried leaves and herbs, often resembling potpourri. The drug also falls under the category of gas station drugs like delta-8, kratom, and tianeptine. That means it can be purchased at gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops, and similar retail environments.
A Designer Drug
K2 spice is considered a designer drug, which means it’s chemically created in an illegal lab, often in a foreign country, and smuggled into the US. Because of this reality, designer drugs like K2 and spice have no manufacturing safety standards that are normally required by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That means their ingredients and strength are almost impossible to know, according to JustThinkTwice.gov.
Designer drug makers will alter molecular structures of existing drugs to create new substances—like K2 spice—that currently are not regulated by the government. Often, these drugs are designed to deliver greater potency and prolonged effects, while getting around current drug tests at the same time.
People who take these new designer drugs may misperceive them as “legal highs,” assuming they’re less hazardous than traditional street drugs. However, the exact opposite can be true, shares the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI). Taking K2 spice is essentially a gamble, as you truly have no idea what you’re putting into your body and how it will affect you. Doses can even be more potent than assumed, for example. The fallout can be dangerously unpredictable for your health, leading to numerous hazardous effects of K2 spice, such as K2 spice addiction.
Effects of K2 Spice You Should Know
So what happens when you take K2 spice? It only takes about three to five minutes for the drug to take effect, and the high may last from one to eight hours, according to Florida State University. Common short-term effects of K2 spice include:
- Feeling really relaxed
- Seeing and hearing things that aren’t there
- Being very confused
- Feeling anxious
SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Beyond the traditional effects of K2 spice, the drug can also produce harmful side effects, including:
- Increased agitation
- Pale skin
- Seizures
- Vomiting
- Profuse sweating
- Uncontrolled / spastic body movements
- Elevated blood pressure
- Fast heart rate and palpitations
SOURCE: Florida State University
If you use K2 spice, you are not immune to its harmful impact. According to NCDI, calls to poison control centers and visits to hospital emergency rooms associated with K2 spice and other synthetic cannabinoids have increased at an alarming rate in recent years. Prolonged use of the drug can also put you at risk for seizures, violent behavior, suicidal ideation, kidney problems, and even death.
Recognizing K2 Spice Addiction
In addition to the side effects above, long-term use of K2 spice can lead to dependence and addiction. This is especially true when you use the drug to self-medicate for co-occurring disorders like anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.
When you persistently use K2 spice, your body and brain get accustomed to the consistent supply of dopamine the drug provides. As a pleasure chemical, dopamine signals to your brain that the activity (using K2 spice) is rewarding, so you want to do it again. Eventually however, your body develops a tolerance for the dopamine released from K2 spice, so you have to use the drug more often in higher doses to get the same effects.
In time, you can become chemically dependent on K2 spice to function, leading to K2 spice addiction. Common signs of K2 spice addiction can include:
- Mood swings and irritability
- Neglecting work, professional, or home responsibilities to use
- Poor hygiene
- Hallucinations and depersonalization
- A lack of interest in activities you previously enjoyed
- Signs of hitting rock bottom (job loss, getting arrested, getting kicked out of the house, etc.)
- The inability to stop using K2 spice
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when reducing or stopping use (drug cravings, insomnia, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, diarrhea)
K2 Spice Addiction Treatment in New England
K2 spice addiction can put you at risk for overdosing, especially when encountering potentially severe withdrawal symptoms. If you believe your loved one is struggling with addiction, it’s important they get professional help at a holistic addiction treatment center.
At Sana at Stowe in Stowe, Vermont, we provide comprehensive drug addiction treatment programming, as well as dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring issues. With our help, your loved one can reclaim their life and achieve lasting recovery. To learn more about our programs, call us today.
