Getting high on K2?
By: Amanda Wichern
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Opinion/Editorial
Parents beware! There's a new drug in town at your local convenience store. Do you know what your kids are smoking?
K2 is the new drug of choice for many local teens and young adults. Although the substance is considered a drug it is - at the moment - completely legal and can be bought for the low cost of about $30 for three grams.
The Missouri Highway Patrol crime lab in Jefferson City tested several K2 samples and found no traces of Tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC - the narcotic found in marijuana. No other illegal substances were found during the testing either. But some of the samples included the synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018 and JWH-073. The chemicals were developed in the mid-1990s by a team of researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina. The experiments were never done on human beings and only conducted on mice to test the compound's effect on the brain.
John W. Huffman, a professor at Clemson, conducted the experiments and created the chemical substance. Huffman's initials are the letters designated to the name of the compound. He said the compound was not meant to be a "super-THC" or to be used as a recreational drug.
The K2 drug has caused quite a buzz throughout the St. Louis area. The legal drug, defined as a marijuana substitute, is being sold in convenience stores throughout the metropolitan area alongside the array of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages. How is it that a drug like marijuana, which has been tested over and over again, is considered illegal? And K2, which has only been tested on rodents, is available for purchase at your local mom-and-pop shop.
A new bill, introduced in Missouri by Rep. Ward Franz, R-West Plains, seeks to add the chemical compound found in K2 to the state's list of illegal drugs. Franz feared people driving under the influence of K2 and encouraged his action on the bill.
Drivers under the influence of K2 or marijuana are not killing other drivers and passengers on the roads. Drunk drivers are the ones endangering others. The media is constantly reminding society about the dangers and devastating results of driving under the influence of alcohol consumption.
K2 is the new drug of choice for many local teens and young adults. Although the substance is considered a drug it is - at the moment - completely legal and can be bought for the low cost of about $30 for three grams.
The Missouri Highway Patrol crime lab in Jefferson City tested several K2 samples and found no traces of Tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC - the narcotic found in marijuana. No other illegal substances were found during the testing either. But some of the samples included the synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018 and JWH-073. The chemicals were developed in the mid-1990s by a team of researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina. The experiments were never done on human beings and only conducted on mice to test the compound's effect on the brain.
John W. Huffman, a professor at Clemson, conducted the experiments and created the chemical substance. Huffman's initials are the letters designated to the name of the compound. He said the compound was not meant to be a "super-THC" or to be used as a recreational drug.
The K2 drug has caused quite a buzz throughout the St. Louis area. The legal drug, defined as a marijuana substitute, is being sold in convenience stores throughout the metropolitan area alongside the array of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages. How is it that a drug like marijuana, which has been tested over and over again, is considered illegal? And K2, which has only been tested on rodents, is available for purchase at your local mom-and-pop shop.
A new bill, introduced in Missouri by Rep. Ward Franz, R-West Plains, seeks to add the chemical compound found in K2 to the state's list of illegal drugs. Franz feared people driving under the influence of K2 and encouraged his action on the bill.
Drivers under the influence of K2 or marijuana are not killing other drivers and passengers on the roads. Drunk drivers are the ones endangering others. The media is constantly reminding society about the dangers and devastating results of driving under the influence of alcohol consumption.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
TheWeedBlog
posted 3/04/10 @ 11:00 AM CST
Marijuana use itself is not that bad, it's the marijuana laws that are the problem. If someone chooses to consume marijuana, they should do it responsibly. (Continued…)
Casey
posted 3/10/10 @ 12:31 PM CST
"Drivers under the influence of K2 or marijuana are not killing other drivers and passengers on the roads. Drunk drivers are the ones endangering others. (Continued…)
K2 Incense
posted 7/18/10 @ 6:20 PM CST
K2 is technically not for human consumption. If consumed you definitely should not be driving. Also, a variety of states have outlawed the possession of K2 including KS, KT, ND, GA, TN, AL and AR. (Continued…)
Post a Comment