I went home this weekend, and laying on the kitchen counter, the lasted issue of Time Magazine. The Front Page read, THE RISE OF FAKE POT. Of course, it immediately drew my attention.
I started reading about the dangers of synthetic drugs that are evading federal regulations and being sold legally in smoke shops. The concern with synthetic drugs lies mainly in the area of synthetic cannabinoids, sold as “incense.” While these incense packets read, NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, they are often times implied as a legal form of marijuana that can be smoked.
The article reads, “synthetic pot appeals to some users because it can evade detection by urine tests.” (pg. 26)
Perhaps a reason these synthetic drugs are being used is because natural Marijuana is illegal in many areas of the country. If Marijuana was made legal, many concerns over drug tests and purchasing Marijuana would disappear. These alternatives forms of Marijuana could be diminished, and their scary side effects could be diminished too.
And as the article says, “At least on the mood altering spectrum, pot is considered relatively safe. That has helped enable the movement that legalized recreational Marijuana in Washington and Colorado. Synthetic cannabinoids are a different matter. Doctors say symptoms caused by these drugs include vomiting, seizures, and excessive heart rate.” (pg. 30)
“Medical experts caution that a single dose of a synthetic cannabinoid can be hazardous because of the crude way in which producers spray the chemicals onto inert plant material that is then smoked.” (pg. 28)
Sounds terrible, doesn’t it?
Here’s my opinion: Marijuana is a plant. A green, leafy, photosynthetic plant that grows from the Earth and is nourished by sunlight and H2O. Smoking marijuana seems far less dangerous than a man made, synthetic material. These products haven’t been properly tested or regulated, and they surely don’t have good track records. If marijuana was legal everywhere, I think the sales of synthetic versions of Marijuana would diminish. I think the safety of natural marijuana would be much higher than synthetic, and less people would be hospitalized or killed from usage. Marijuana has never killed anyone before.
Doesn’t that make sense to you?
Read the opening statements of the article here, and subscribe to TIME, or purchase a copy, to read the full article! http://time.com/57167/rise-of-fake-pot/?pcd=pw2-FakePotHPH
Talking About MaryJane 