Category Archives: Reclassification

What’s the deal with Spice Diamond?

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Hey guys!

So I know some of you are in to these so called  legal highs. Perhaps you think that because the drug hasnt been made illegal yet, it is maybe safer than its illegal counterpart Cannabis? So whats the deal with Spice Diamond? Well firstly it is illegal , in July 2009, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommended that Spice be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.This recommendation was made on the basis that Spice contains synthetic cannabinoids which could pose an equal or potentially higher risk than naturally occurring THC, due to their method of manufacture. The ACMD also recommended that a generic definition of synthetic cannabinoids should be used to cover any new compounds that might be developed by those trying to get round the law. In August 2009, the government announced that Spice would become a Class B drug along with cannabis.

We may not know the long-term effects but we do know the short-term effects. Well I do as I have been doing my own research. Here’s what I’ve found out:

What Does Spice Abuse Look Like?

Spice may have similar effects to Cannabis but the high is usually induced much more quickly and is more intense. A Spice user is much more likely to have serious adverse effects than a person smoking weed.

Signs and Symptoms of Spice Use

“Spice” is a more difficult drug to identify than most, because it can take many forms and in fact, can be composed of many different chemicals. It has been and probably still is being promoted as a replacement for cannabis for those who cannot afford to have a positive drug test. The drug testing industry has caught up with this drug, however, and now there are tests that will show that it has been used.

Spice, also known as K2, has been sold as a legal replacement for cannabis. It is often packaged as “incense” and sold in convenience stores or head shops.

What’s In Spice?

There are a variety of chemicals that are sprayed onto plant material and sold as Spice or K2. The product is then smoked like Cannabis. These chemicals don’t even have names. They are just designated as HU-210, JWH-018 or JWH-073, among others. The initials JWH refer to the chemist who developed this particular set of chemicals.

Left behind after Spice use, you might find small pipes coated with the residue of burning plant materials or small foil packages. The product could be called Pep Spice, Spice Silver or Gold, Spice Diamond, Skunk, Yucatan Fire, Black Mamba and many other names.

For example:

  • Seizures and tremors
  • Coma and unconsciousness
  • Vomiting
  • Hallucinations and paranoia
  • Numbness and tingling
  • Very high blood pressure and heart rate – high enough to cause damage or danger
  • Anxiety and panic attacks
  • Threatening behaviour and aggression
  • Terrible headaches
  • Inability to speak.

A person can become so violently paranoid that he attacks other people around him. Some deaths have occurred as a result but it is difficult to pin down an exact number because tests for this drug have only recently been developed. Deaths from violent behaviour or suicide are some of the unfortunate side effects of Spice abuse.

Spice is Also Addictive

A person who shows signs of Spice use may not even be able to stop using the drug despite the fact that it is causing severe harm. A person using Spice is at risk of the most serious symptoms of use like coma and seizures. If a family can’t get a person using Spice to stop abusing this drug, it is vital that the drug abuser be gotten into drug rehab as soon as possible.

Effects of Spice Abuse

Parents hope to never see the effects of drug abuse in their children, but the effects of Spice could be particularly terrifying. Spice, or K2, is one of the new synthetics that are popular in many parts of the US. But the effects of using this drug can be dangerous, violent and threatening to life itself.

Sellers are usually head shops, and the drug is usually sold in small foil packets or small glass jars. It can be labelled as incense or pot-pourri to evade police attention. The packages could have been brand named Spice Gold, Spice Diamond, Yucatan Fire, Skunk, Galaxy Gold and any other name the manufacturers could think up.

The effects of using Spice can be damaging, dangerous and deadly. They include seizures, hallucinations, violent, aggressive behaviour  paranoia, rigidity, high blood pressure and high heart rate.

Addiction is One of the Effects of Spice

Despite the fact that a person may see that he is suffering adverse effects from using this drug, he may go back for more, time after time. That is the compulsive, addictive behaviour that can result from the use of Spice. It is easy to become addicted to this drug.

The drug is not actually just one chemical but could be composed of one or more from a list of chemicals, some of which were developed by chemist John W. Huffman, who was trying to create cannabinoids (marijuana-like drugs) to treat medical conditions. When they began being abused illicitly, he stated at different times how dangerous these drugs could be. The list of chemicals includes JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497, and cannabicyclohexanol.

Home Office press release announcing ban on legal highs such as spice
EMCDDA Understanding the ‘Spice’ phenomenon