With over 29 years of experience in alcohol toxicology, forensic scientist James Wigmore says calling K2, ‘synthetic marijuana’ is a complete misnomer. “It bears more in common with drugs like LSD. It’s more like a psychedelic, and can, at best, be described as ‘cannabis on acid’.”

Frequently sold in the black market and in less legally-regulated smoke shops, synthetic cannabinoids are psychoactive designer drugs that can either be sprayed on dry, smokable plant materials or sold as liquids for vapourizing. Their widespread use has become a public health nightmare in recent years.

Immediate reactions can range from delirium, irregular heartbeat, hallucinations and even violent behaviour, in extreme cases. Wigmore, author of Wigmore on Cannabis, says long-term use compounds the problem: “There are chronic psychosis and other long-term issues, such as illogicality, permanently impaired speech and perseveration (repeating gestures or words long after prompted to do so).”

K2’s potency is due to its chemical composition: Like THC, its synthetic agents bind to the body’s cannabinoid receptors. But with the goal of a more intense high, those chemicals are designed to bind to the receptors with 10 to 100 times the strength. “Labs often add nitrogen,” Wigmore elaborates. “The structure changes, increasing toxicity, and addictiveness.”

It’s also dependent on the intention and proficiency of the producer. Some batches exhibit minor effects, while others can land users in critical care or worse. Margaret Thompson, president of the Canadian Association of Poison Control Centres, says since the drugs are unregulated, those who come across it will almost never know what they’re in for. “There are over 200 different structures identified as synthetic cannabinoids. There’s a few that are more prominently sold on the streets, however.”

Thompson points to one such incident in the U.S., wherein a powerful batch of K2 led to 33 hospitalizations. “AMB-fuminaca (a synthetic cannabinoid) caused the 2016 ‘zombie-like epidemic’ in New York,” she recalls.

The crisis hasn’t hit Canada yet, but health authorities and experts are staying vigilant. In 2017, Health Canada warned of synthetic cannabinoids being sold as “incense” in shops across Edmonton, and noted that K2 was the third most prevalent drug consumed by high students in 2015, behind cannabis and alcohol.

History of K2

Though first conceived with the best intentions, synthetic cannabinoids soon found their way into illicit labs.

“It has no relation to cannabis whatsoever,” says Wigmore, adding, “It was made in a lab.” In the 80s, researcher John W. Huffman was investigating the effects on cannabinoids like THC on the human endocannabinoid system–regulating appetite, mood and memory–when he and his team developed 400-plus synthesized cannabinoids to better control those bodily processes.

When Huffman’s work was published, it quickly got into the wrong hands. “Illicit labs started selling it knowing that it eludes drug testing, especially in the States,” Wigmore says, adding, “Standard testing detects THC, but not synthetic THC.” While there are hundreds of cannabinoids, the fact that most methods only test for a small number of them means the number of people recorded as experiencing K2 overdoses could be far greater than reported.

In the U.S., manufacturers take advantage of loopholes to keep the production going–as soon as legislators identify and outlaw one type of fake cannabinoid, Wigmore says a new one made of a different set of ingredients takes its place.

K2 is a schedule I drug in Canada, as it has no recognized medical application: For first-time possession, the federal government can apply a maximum penalty of $1,000 and six months in prison. For repeat offenders, the fine and jail time are doubled.

Is your cannabis real?

There are a few tell-tale signs to determine if your cannabis is real or not:

• Synthetic cannabinoids are sold as shredded plant material. Real cannabis is sold in whole buds.
• You probably know by now what cannabis smells like. K2’s chemical makeup can’t replicate that aroma.
• If cannabis was purchased at a surprisingly low price point, be alarmed: K2’s hasty production means it tends to be sold dirt-cheap. On some online sites, price range from $18 for 10 grams, in contrast to dispensary-sold cannabis at an average of $11-15 per gram.

If you suspect you might have ingested K2, seek assistance from your local poison control centre or your nearest hospital.