Pubdate: Sun, 08 Aug 2010
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
Copyright: 2010 Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Contact:  http://www.telegram.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/509
Note: Rarely prints LTEs from outside circulation area - requires 
'Letter to the Editor' in subject
Author: Bronislaus B. Kush

NEW DRUG ALARMS OFFICIALS

Made Of Plant Synthetic Matter

A drug-laced herbal concoction sold as incense that reportedly mimics 
the highs induced by marijuana has become popular among narcotics 
users in some regions of the country and is making serious inroads in 
Massachusetts.

"This looks like it's going to be the latest designer drug," said Dr. 
Christopher D. Rosenbaum, who specializes in emergency medicine and 
toxicology at the University Campus of UMass Memorial Medical Center 
in Worcester. "What's disturbing is that it's a mixture of plant and 
synthetic materials and people who use it don't know exactly what 
they're smoking."

New England law enforcement officials are becoming increasingly aware 
and alarmed about the popularity of K2, one brand of the drug, and 
its offshoots. They said there is nothing they can do to crack down 
on them, because the substances -- though spliced with drugs -- are 
not illegal under U.S. law.

While there are no federal statutes prohibiting K2, about a dozen 
states have either banned or are seeking to ban the drug, which has 
been blamed for the death of an Iowa teen. Missouri was the latest 
state to outlaw its use.

Locally, the Worcester City Council on Tuesday will be asked to 
request that the state Legislature ban its sale and distribution.

K2 is often referred to as "fake weed" or "spice," and, according to 
medical authorities, causes vomiting, hallucinations, aggressiveness 
and other symptoms. The compound can be made of spices, herbs and 
vegetative matter and is sprayed with a chemical similar to THC, the 
psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

It may be purchased on the Internet and, in some areas of the nation, 
it can be bought from tobacconists and at head shops, gas stations 
and convenience stores. The drug is sold as potpourri, incense, air 
freshener or even bath salts and costs about $35 for 3 grams. The 
product can be rolled up in joints or smoked from pipes.

Police believe that most local users are buying the substance online.

K2, which is also sold under the brand names Genie, Zohai, Demon, 
Skunk, Sence, Mister Smiley and Yucatan Fire, was not found at a 
number of Worcester commercial establishments that the Sunday 
Telegram surveyed.

Officials believe the use of K2 first became widespread in Missouri. 
It then crept into adjoining states. before moving into other regions 
because of its availability over the computer.

In portions of the Midwest and Deep South, the substance is even 
available in some bait and tackle shops.

Dr. Anthony J. Scalzo, professor of pediatrics and internal medicine 
and director of the Division of Toxicology at St. Louis University 
School of Medicine, believes K2 and its variants are dangerous, 
because they generate a very fast heartbeat and elevated blood pressure.

Dr. Scalzo, who is also an emergency room physician, is credited with 
picking up on the increasing use of K2 as a drug. In November, he 
noticed a number of patients complaining of paranoia, hallucinations 
and agitation. One of them, a 14-year-old with no history of suicidal 
tendencies, tried to jump out of a five-story window.

Dr. Scalzo said he believes K2 greatly impacts the cardiovascular 
system and acts more like stimulants such as amphetamines.

"It's interesting because the impact of K2 on the body is a lot 
different than the effects of marijuana, which usually have more of a 
mellowing impact," he said.

Dr. Scalzo, who also serves as medical director of the Missouri 
Poison Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, 
noted that marijuana users usually experience sleepiness, lower blood 
pressure and a feeling of relaxation.

After personally logging a number of K2 cases, Dr. Scalzo began to 
call some of his colleagues around the country to see if they were 
seeing a similar trend. Hundreds of cases have since been reported. 
Dr. Scalzo said a St. Louis convenience store proprietor reported he 
sold about $7,000 worth of the substance in a day.

Echoing Dr. Rosenbaum's sentiments, Dr. Scalzo warned K2 users to be 
wary, because buyers do not know exactly what is in the drug packets, 
or the strength of the ingredients.

"It's buyer beware," he said. "These drugs are dangerous because they 
are so unpredictable."

Dr. Rosenbaum said UMass Memorial treated a teen about a year and 
half ago who became seriously ill after using the drug.

"We haven't seen a lot of it yet," said Dr. Rosenbaum. "But it's out 
there and it's on our radar."

He said the drug is particularly popular with the younger crowd, with 
users as young as middle-school-age students.

Dr. Rosenbaum said there is no test for the drug. He believes it 
could become the narcotic of choice for those serving in the 
military, or in occupations in which drug testing is routinely conducted.

Area and state police said they had heard about K2 but don't know 
much about it.

"We haven't yet had a lot of interaction with police about the drug," 
said Timothy J. Connolly, a spokesman for Worcester District Attorney 
Joseph D. Early Jr.

Trooper Sean Lewis, a member of the state police media staff, said he 
believed the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was examining the 
issue in depth and looking at possible trends. DEA officials could 
not be reached for comment.

"We need to start a serious discussion about this drug to find out 
how widespread it is," said William T. Breault, chairman of the Main 
South Alliance for Public Safety, who filed a petition asking the 
City Council to take action. "I'm worried about this drug because 
it's so easy to get."

State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, who is vice chairman of the 
Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, said he 
thinks Massachusetts lawmakers would be receptive to banning the 
substance, given the overall toll of drugs on the state.

He noted, for example, that one study showed that opiate addiction 
alone cost Massachusetts about $300 million annually.

"This K2 drug looks like it's going to cause problems," said Mr. 
Brewer. "Any kid can get it over the Internet, and drug users are 
going to love it because there's no test for it."

The chemical elements of K2 were concocted in the mid-1990s in the 
lab of a Clemson University organic chemist who studies the effects 
of cannabinoids on brain receptors. It's assumed that the recipe was 
picked up from a subsequent research paper that contained the 
ingredients and production process.

Law enforcement officials believe that K2 was first smoked as a 
recreational drug in Europe, where it is now banned in a number of countries.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart