How harmful is K2/Spice (also called synthetic cannabinoids)?

Marijuana is different from cannabidiol (CBD). Marijuana refers to the dried flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds of the cannabis plant. CBD is one of the many compounds, along with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), that can be present in the cannabis plant. CBD does not cause a “high” by itself. CBD can be derived from hemp, which is defined as any part of a cannabis sativa plant with no more than 0.3% of THC, or non-hemp plants.

In 2018, the U.S. Congress passed and signed into law the Agriculture Improvement Actexternal icon.[2] This law removed hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act, effectively legalizing CBD if it comes from hemp.

However, a few states have not removed hemp from their state’s controlled substances acts, so legality of CBD products differs across states.

[2]Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. H.R.2, 115th Cong. 2017-2018. https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22house+bill%22%7D

external icon

CBD is suitable for daily use.

There are 8 reasons to use CBD every day:

1. CBD Keeps the Body Balanced

2. CBD is Safe to Use

3. Mood and Stress Support

4. Promotes Better Sleep

5. Aches and Soreness Support

6. Natural Skin Care

7. You Can Use CBD Anytime

8. Natural Treatment

Medical cannabis is legal in over half the U.S., but the problem with “marijuana” is its high THC content. While it may relieve your symptoms, the intoxication can make your work unsafe or affect productivity.

Fortunately, hemp-derived CBD contains no more than 0.3% THC, making it impossible to get even remotely high.

Still, some people are concerned about THC. In that case, our broad-spectrum CBD products are entirely THC-free, and we do that without diluting our oil just so third-party lab reports show it’s “THC-Free.”

But what really puts us ahead of other CBD companies in our industry is our extraction process. Our proprietary method allows us to naturally retain terpenes, cannabinoids, and flavonoids using low heat, one of the main enemies as it burns off or degrades these crucial compounds.

Keeping these other plant compounds provides the best overall effects anytime you need them.

Ultimately, you get the therapeutic effects of cannabis without intoxication – and that’s a massive win in our book.

Generally speaking, CBD with high purity is not a drug, and CBD with THC concentration less than 0.3% cannot be detected by drug testing. However, many CBD products on the market may have excessive THC content due to non-standard requirements, which may be detected by drug testing.

CBD can cause side effects such as dry mouth, diarrhea, decreased appetite, lethargy and fatigue. CBD can also interact with other drugs you are taking, such as blood thinners. Another cause of concern is the unreliability of the purity and dose of CBD in the product.

There is moderate evidence that CBD can improve sleep disturbances, fibromyalgia pain, multiple sclerosis-associated muscle spasticity, and anxiety. People report that oral CBD reduces anxiety and pain and  leads to better sleep.

Synthetic cannabinoids (called spice, K2, and other names) are man-made chemicals and, despite the name, are not marijuana or cannabinoid medicines.20 Synthetic cannabinoids are often sprayed onto dried plant material that can then be smoked or sold as liquids to use in vaping devices.

Synthetic cannabinoids are part of a group of unregulated, mind-altering drugs that attempt to produce effects similar to illicit drugs. Their effects are not fully understood and can cause dangerous and unpredictable health effects because of their unpredictable chemical contents.21  Once these products are identified in the illegal marketplace, they are added to the list of schedule I substances by the Drug Enforcement Administrationexternal icon. Schedule I substances are illegal throughout the United States and are defined as having no medical use and high potential for abuse.

Synthetic cannabinoids can affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana, creating unpredictable and, in some cases, life-threatening effects, including:

• nausea

• anxiety

• paranoia

• brain swelling

• seizures

• hallucinations

• aggression

• heart palpitations

• chest pains

Cases of severe injury and death from use of synthetic cannabinoids have been reported, along with regional outbreaks when a contaminated batch enters a specific community.22 For additional questions around synthetic cannabinoids, visit CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health page on synthetic marijuana or the National Institute on Drug Abuse page on synthetic cannabinoidsexternal icon.

If someone you know has used synthetic cannabinoids and needs help, you can take the following steps:

• Call 911 immediately if someone stops breathing, collapses, or has a seizure. These symptoms can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.

• Call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.

• Call your doctor.