'Spice' definition, & side effects: synthetic drug made 16 San Diego locals ill

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Sixteen San Diego locals fell ill after taking the synthetic marijuana drug locally known as "spice."

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Saturday marks the second week of overdose cases in San Diego downtown area. Spice apparently sickened 16 people on Saturday, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Lee Swanson.

On Sunday, eight people, the youngest being 13 years old fell ill because of the drug as well. Luckily, no one was in a life-threatening condition.

Symptoms of the hospitalized locals include fast heartbeat, breathing difficulties, unconsciousness, mild nausea and agitation, the spokesman added.

Spice has been used around in media all the time either for overdose or deaths but what is it really and is it that dangerous? Here are the answers to your questions:

What is spice?

Spice is a combination of shredded plants and chemical additives that are often touted as synthetic marijuana which according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is false advertising.

"Labels on Spice products often claim that they contain "natural" psycho-active material taken from a variety of plants," the NIDA wrote. "Spice products do contain dried plant material, but chemical analyses show that their active ingredients are synthetic (or designer)cannabinoid compounds."

It has psychoactive and mind-altering effects similar to the cannabis plant and is categorized by NIDA as cannabinoids.

What are synthetic cannabinoids?

According to Drug Facts, it is the general terms used to the growing mind-altering drug mixture of chemicals and plants.

"These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are related to chemicals found in the marijuana plant," the website Drug Facts wrote. "Because of this similarity, synthetic cannabinoids are sometimes misleadingly called "synthetic marijuana" (or "fake weed"), and they are often marketed as "safe," legal alternatives to that drug."

These substances can either be smoked, inhaled via e-cigarettes, or vaporized and can be much more powerful than cannabis as it has unpredictable effects on its users. There are many names that refer to these drugs; the most common brand names are Spice, K2, Bliss, Solar Flare, Spice Diamond, Black Mamba and many more.

What are its side effects?

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the synthetic drug claims to mimic the effects of marijuana. People who do land in emergency rooms due to adverse side effects experience the following: disorientation, convulsions, increased heart rates, increased blood pressure, vomiting, anxiety attacks and convulsions.