What Is Synthetic Cannabis? 

Synthetic cannabinoids are man-made chemicals that produce a similar effect to the chemicals found in marijuana. While they are occasionally touted as safer alternatives to marijuana, the fact is, they may affect the brain much more than marijuana and can create unpredictable and more life-threatening effects. 

How Does Synthetic Cannabis Affect the Body? 

There is no such thing as a safe level of drug use. Like any drug, synthetic cannabis carries risks that can differ depending on:

• Your height  
• Your weight
• Your health
• The dosage consumed
• The exact chemical structure used during manufacturing
• The purity of the synthetic cannabis

What Are the Short-Term Effects of Synthetic Cannabis? 

Because synthetic cannabis is similar to marijuana, the short-term effects are similar. However, it also carries some additional negative and potentially more harmful short-term side effects. Those include, but are not limited to: 

• Racing thoughts
• Sleepiness and dizziness
• Confusion
• Fast and irregular heartbeat
• Agitation, anxiety, and paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Chest pain
• Breathing problems
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Muscle damage
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Stroke
• Psychosis
• Aggressive and violent behavior
• Acute kidney injury
• Suicidal thoughts
• Death

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Synthetic Cannabis?

Since synthetic cannabis has only been on the market since 2008 in the US (although the chemicals used in its creation have been around since as early as the 1980s), researchers are still collecting data about its long-term effects. This is dangerous because, unlike other regulated medications, there is no research that shows what could happen after years or decades of extended and consistent use. 

Is It Possible to Overdose on Synthetic Cannabis? 

Yes, it is possible for a person to overdose on synthetic cannabis. Overdoses can include:

• Toxic reactions
• Raised blood pressure
• Reduced blood supply to the heart and brain
• Kidney damage
• Seizures

Because synthetic cannabis can easily be mixed with additional chemicals or drugs, there are also dangers for people to overdose due to narcotic additives. When synthetic opioids like fentanyl are added, overdosing can lead to death. 

What Are the Withdrawal Symptoms of Synthetic Cannabis? 

Synthetic cannabis is an addictive substance people can become dependent on. Potential withdrawal symptoms include: 

• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Severe anxiety
• Sweating
• Trouble sleeping
• Paranoia
• Panic attacks
• Mood swings
• Agitation and irritability
• Breathing problems
• Chest pain
• Palpitations
• Rapid heart rate
• Seizures 

What Are the Treatment Options for Addiction to Synthetic Cannabis? 

Think of treatment in the same way you think about your physical health. A doctor that only focuses on the surface symptoms would fixate on something like a cough and prescribe decongestants while ignoring what caused it. 

This treatment plan might yield short-term results but would only give the infection time to grow and mutate. The better way to approach physical health is to treat the symptoms and the causes behind those symptoms.

Treating the Underlying Cause

In mental health, addiction is only a symptom. True, the symptom is damaging and dangerous, but it still only indicates much more profound emotional concerns. 

To treat an addiction to synthetic cannabis, therapists and counselors look beyond the symptom and address the foundational illness to make lasting changes. This helps prevent relapses and new addictions and can lead to lasting and meaningful changes. Addiction experts utilize behavior therapy, counseling, and other proven treatments.

Addiction treatment is not only about obtaining sobriety; it is about identifying and treating the foundational trauma an addict suffers from, which leads to lasting recovery.

Pinnacle Treatment Centers Can Help

If you, or a loved one, suffers from addiction or addictive behaviors, Pinnacle Treatment Centers can help. Contact us today to take the first step toward recovery. 

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You will often hear the terms “marijuana” and “cannabis” used interchangeably, but their distinctions are actually pretty profound. Cannabis products are anything derived from the plant Cannabis sativa. The resulting product is considered “marijuana” when it is derived from cannabis and also has a significant THC content.

As the health benefits of medical cannabinoids are being promoted, and more municipalities are legalizing both medicinal and recreational use, it is important to be well-informed and understand what cannabinoids are.

What Are Cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are defined as any type of product that comes from the Cannabis sativa plant. This includes more than 500 chemical substances, such as THC, cannabidiol (CBD), hemp, and more.

The Different Types of Cannabinoids

While the numbers vary a bit from source to source, NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health cites more than 500 different chemicals in the cannabis plant and about 80-100 different cannabinoids.

The two main cannabinoids in daily use are:

• CBD (cannabidiol)
• THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)

Generally speaking, the cannabinoids people use are organized into three groups:

• Recreational
• Medicinal
• Synthetic

Marijuana Cannabinoids: What Are They?

It should come as no surprise that the two most common cannabinoids used are also the primary marijuana cannabinoids: CBD and THC. The THC is what sets marijuana apart. Many people report that CBD offers a calming effect, but it doesn’t have the same psychoactive effect of THC. Marijuana is introduced into the body through:

• Smoking/inhalation
• Oral consumption
• Topical application

The Negative Effects of Cannabinoids

For the most part, CBD is safe to use and has no serious negative side effects. Some reported effects include lightheadedness and drowsiness, which may be caused by a third possible effect: lowered blood pressure. Like with THC, CBD can cause dry mouth or “cottonmouth.”

Abundant and constant use of THC can undoubtedly have negative effects on physical health and mental acuity. Frequent users may have a higher risk of:

• Muddled thought processes
• Reduction in mental clarity
• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Heart attack
• Atrial fibrillation
• Reduction in bone density
• Labored breathing
• Chronic cough
• COPD
• Recurring lung infections
• Cancer

Cannabinoid Side Effects

Cannabinoids can have side effects. If someone uses too much, they can become anxious, paranoid, and even suffer delusions and hallucinations.

Just like with alcohol, a person’s tolerance has a lot to do with how much they can ingest. And there are many different strains available, so not all marijuana is grown or processed alike.

Do Cannabinoids Interact with Other Drugs?

Cannabinoids are drugs, so the very simple answer to this question is “yes”—and potential interactions need to be taken very seriously.

For example, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reported that:

• “Very high international normalized ratio [INR] levels and bleeding have been reported with combined use of warfarin and marijuana.”
• Smoked marijuana can increase the clearance, or expulsion from the body, of theophylline by as much as 40%. Theophylline is a treatment for respiratory diseases like COPD and asthma.
• CBD and THC can have additive effects with drugs like opioids, antihistamines, and other drugs that depress the central nervous system.

Explaining Cannabis Use Disorder

Once the use of cannabinoid-containing substances start having a negative impact on a person’s life and that of those around them, it has become an addiction, known as Cannabis Use Disorder or CUD.

People suffering from Cannabis Use Disorder may experience the following when they abstain from cannabinoids:

• Disrupted sleep patterns
• Mood swings
• Heightened irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Sense of restlessness

There are also reported physical discomforts such as:

• Abdominal pain
• Tremors
• Fevers and chills
• Headache
• Sweating
• Tremors

There is also believed to be a genetic component to CUD. In a Genome-Wide Association Survey, a specific genetic mutation was found in all those who had CUD, and was not found in those who did not experience CUD.

Are All Cannabinoids Psychoactive?

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. A couple other non-psychoactive cannabinoids include CBG (cannabigerol) and CBC (cannabichromene).

CBG

Experts are finding CBG to be helpful in treating eye conditions like glaucoma. In clinical experiments with mice, it appears to help reduce the inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers in Europe have found that CBG is an effective antibacterial, and may lead to a turnaround treatment of Staphylococcus aureus, one of the most dangerous, and oftentimes drug-resistant, bacterium.

CBC

There is research indicating that CBC may be a powerful weapon in the fight against cancer. Like CBD, CBC has also been found useful in the treatment of pain and inflammation. CBC’s effect on neural stem progenitor cells (NSPCs) may be able to one day counteract the effects of oxidative stress that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders.

What are Synthetic Cannabinoids?

Synthetic cannabinoids are considered a “designer drug” because they are created in a lab to mimic the effects of naturally occurring drugs, in this case CBD and THC. K2/Spice is a mixture of plant material that is sprayed with psychoactive chemicals.

There have been a number of issues with synthetic cannabinoids, because they are being labeled as “potpourri” or “herbal” or “incense,” and thus “not for human consumption.” Anyone can go into their local convenience store, buy it, and use it.

Because it is labeled as “not for human consumption,” there is no government regulation or review of the product. In July 2018, more than 70 people overdosed in a single day in New Haven, CT. The month before, more than 300 people overdosed in a two-week period in D.C.

The Verdict on Cannabinoids

Excessive cannabis use can lead to mood swings, poor sleep, loss of appetite, and more. If you or a loved one has seen cannabinoid use develop into an addiction, don’t delay: Contact us at Pinnacle Treatment Centers. We’re experienced with treating drug addictions, and we can help.

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