John Huffman, a Clemson University chemist, synthesized a substance he called JWH-018. The chemical was structurally similar to THC, the active ingredient in pot, and apparently quite a bit more potent.
So why the sudden hubbub, especially in the "meth heartland" of the lower Midwest and border states?
Well, the location of much of the hue and cry probably is a partial explainer.
Or, maybe it's just part of the scares over real pot:
Is JWH-018 dangerous? No one really knows. There's not a lot of research on what it does to mice and almost nothing on what it does to humans. Its effects shouldn't be that different from marijuana's, but then, we could argue all day about how dangerous marijuana is. Even researchers who have found that pot use has long-term detrimental effects, like the link to psychosis that was announced earlier this week, tend to qualify their statements by noting that the link is "by no means simple" and arguing that we need a lot more research.
Or, as the story notes, it may be that, being unregulated, who know how JWH-018 for sale is adulterated.
If you're curious, here's the chemical background on JWH-018.
That said, it appears that hysteria will trump actual science-based investigation of just what JWH-018 does and doesn't do to humans. Too bad; I'm sure there are plenty of avid research volunteers ready to sign up.
Beyond the federal DOJ perhaps wanting a look at this, local and state law-enforcement agencies, of course, along with local and state elected officials, haveall the usual reasons to want to criminalize this substance:
1. Looking tough on crime;
2. Money off asset forfeiture seizure sales;
3. Tchotches from asset seizure that law enforcement keeps, rather than sells;
4. Avoiding addressing why people use mood-altering substances, and addressing some of those issues, rather than the surface-level symptoms - in other words, taking the easy way out.
Whatever argument you can make for JWH-018 will always be trumped by the pure fact that it is a synthetic drug. And time and time again, scientists prove how dangerous synthetic drugs are.
ReplyDeletePreliminary reports on JWH-018 show negative side effects, including vomiting, black-outs, seizures and convulsions, elevated heart rates and and even hallucinations. None of these are even commonly associated side effects of cannabis.
More importantly... why on God's green earth would you put something in your body which has no substantial research done to it? You have no idea what you are putting in your body! JWH-018 also causes profound changes to CB1 receptors which causes desensitization more rapidly, which means more and more is needed faster to achieve the same results.
Until more valid research is done into JWH-018 and that whole family of synthetic cannabinoids, you're best sticking with cannabis. Is your healthy or sanity really worth pissing clean?