Synthetic Marijuana Used More Frequently Than Cannabis Among Those Serving in the Military

A few days after authorities in Texas reported nearly 120 deaths over the span of a week due to overdoses on synthetic marijuana, a University of Washington study found that it's the most abused substance among active-duty Army personnel.

Synthetic marijuana, also called "spice" and "K2", is a "wide variety of herbal mixtures that produce experiences similar to marijuana and that are marketed as ‘safe' legal alternatives to that drug," according to DrugAbuse.org. The U.S. military banned synthetic marijuana in all branches of service.

However, this has not stopped those in the Army from using the banned substances, even more than regular cannabis, which is bizarre because many negative reports concerning synthetic marijuana have been well known. Health effects based on hospital visits include seizures, nausea, vomiting, cardiovascular and respiratory problems, among other psychological effects.

The University of Washington study obtained their data from the Department of Defense-funded Warrior Check-Up, which is a telephone-based intervention trial for Army personnel with untreated substance abuse issues, all of who were stationed in Washington during the 2011-2014 recruitment period. According to their findings, synthetic marijuana was used among 38% of those surveyed in the past 90 days.

This number was twice as high than those who reported using regular marijuana in the same time period. The "spice" is likely to cause adverse health effects because manufacturers continue to mix and synthesize new compounds every time the DEA manages to ban other substances the product used to contain. As a result, the synthetic marijuana is still sold in smoke shops because it's technically not illegal.

According to the study, the military personnel that reported using synthetic marijuana were younger and less educated than those who reported only using alcohol. There were no differences in ethnicity, race, deployment history, or religion, but they were more likely to develop a drug dependency than those who reported using other drugs.