Synthetic Marijuana Dangers
JACKSON, Tenn. – Residents at the Aspell Recovery Center in Jackson are trying to beat their drug addictions, some of them include synthetic drugs. One of the residents who asked that we not identify him said synthetic marijuana scared him more than any other drug he has tried. “There was several people in the car with me, I’d been knowing all my life, and after I smoked it, I didn’t know who they was. I took two hits and got so paranoid I made them get out of the car.” He said when he came to, he was lying in his driveway. He called the experience terrifying, and said these same drugs took the life of his good friend. “It’s real dangerous. Anytime you smoke something like that and you don’t know who you are or where you’re at, you can do things that you normally wouldn’t like kill somebody or worse kill yourself,” the former user said. Dr. Peter Gardner with Physicians Quality Care said these drugs are able to fly under FDA regulations by marketing themselves as harmless. “No one really knows how these act on the human brain. It’s not documented or regulated. Every kid can have a freak out,” he said. Gardner said these drugs are attractive to users because they cannot be detected on drug tests. He warns these drugs often cause violent behavior, increased heart rate and death especially when used by teens. “Kids take them thinking they’re gonna get high but they’re very slow to act so they take another dose. Then there’s a cumulative effect so then they exceed what any recommended dose for those illegal substances would ever be,” he said. On the packaging of synthetic drugs they read ‘not for human consumption’, those who have tried the drugs agree. “I”ve done experience with just about all any drug you can do and this is the strongest drug I have ever…ever seen,” said the Aspell resident. Lieutenant Marc Byrum of Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics said they are very aware how dangerous these drugs are, and that is why they are committed to keeping them off the streets .
