Synthetic marijuana is a chemical-plant material mixture that contains synthetic cannabinoids, manmade compounds designed to reach the brain through the same pathway as the main cannabis/marijuana ingredient THC. One of the potential consequences of using synthetic cannabinoids is the onset of psychosis symptoms highly similar to those found in people with the severe mental illness…
Psychosis is an extremely dysfunctional mental state most commonly associated with the presence of schizophrenia and certain other severe mental illnesses. Addiction specialists and researchers know that marijuana can produce a temporary psychosis-like state in active users and also potentially increases the odds that a person with latent psychotic tendencies will experience psychotic episodes. In…
Hyperthermia is the technical term for a loss of internal control over body temperature that can produce severe or even fatal changes in organ health. For a long time, doctors and researchers have known that use of large doses of the “club drug” MDMA (more commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly) is linked to increased…
The findings require more research, but may prove to be important in the treatment of addiction and anxiety disorders, said Elements CEO Dr. David Sack. Might dropping acid drop your anxiety? Could you better cope with health threats by taking a guided LSD trip with your therapist? The unlikely answer is maybe.
“Bath salts” are a modern class of illicit/illegal drugs with a close chemical relationship to natural, mind-altering substances contained in a stimulant plant called khat; these drugs have entered circulation in the U.S. over the last several years. Bath salts are used by only a very small minority of American teenagers. According to results of…
This post has been updated to reflect the latest developments in the criminal case against Aaron Hernandez. The powerful street drug PCP, largely unheard of since its violent heyday in the 1970s, may go higher profile as the saga of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez continues to unfold. Hernandez, already charged with murder…
Summertime and hard partying often go hand-in-hand. And across the country, Molly, a form of the drug ecstasy, is becoming popular among high school students and younger crowds. The warmer weather in particular seems to be a draw for Molly’s users who typically range in age from 16 to 21.
Designer drugs are man-made or synthetic drugs. They are chemical compounds created in a laboratory and sold on the street to users looking for intense or specific kinds of “highs.” They are sold under a slew of names, making them hard for parents to keep track of. Anti-drug agencies report that teens and young people…
Daniel Parks’ wife had fallen asleep, shattered after a long day at the UK-based music festival Bestival. Daniel locked himself in the bathroom—his mind frazzled by his use of drugs over the weekend—and took a kitchen knife with him. He mutilated his lower arms, sending blood cascading down onto the floor of the small cubicle…
Synthetic drugs may be the new trend in getting high that parents, law enforcement agents and lawmakers need to be worried about. From the synthetic marijuana products that came out several years ago packaged to look like incense or potpourri, to the newest drugs coming from China and Europe, these laboratory-manufactured substances pose a real…