According to a new study by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, teens who use synthetic marijuana are more likely to engage in risky behavior, have unprotected sex, and abuse other, potentially more harmful drugs. The study interpreted data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey to come to its conclusions.

Researchers found that “nearly one in 10 high school students had used synthetic marijuana at some point in their lifetime,” said Heather Clayton, the lead researcher of the CDC study, and a scientist with the center’s Division of Adolescent and School Health.

“The findings indicate that students who report using synthetic marijuana are possibly on a very concerning health trajectory, which is particularly serious given that synthetic marijuana use is relatively common among adolescents,” Clayton added.

Those who use synthetic pot–also known as “fake weed”–are more likely to carry a gun or engage in violent behavior than those who use traditional marijuana, the researchers said, and are more likely to have begun using marijuana at an early age. Synthetic marijuana use is also linked to having unprotected sex. So why do people turn to synthetic marijuana rather than the natural plant? It’s readily available, it’s cheap, and it’s hard for authorities to detect, due to manufacturers’ ever-changing formulas and marketing techniques.

Like traditional marijuana, the synthetic variety is classified as a Schedule I drug by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Though often packaged and marketed in a colorful, almost innocent fashion (K2 and Spice are common strain varieties), synthetic marijuana is tied to a variety of adverse effects. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, synthetic marijuana, which usually consists of dried leaves sprayed with a menagerie of chemicals, can lead to “rapid heart rate, vomiting, violent behavior, and suicidal thoughts.”

The CDC researchers said that their findings were not meant to establish a causal relationship between synthetic marijuana use and risky behavior in teens. For instance, people who are more likely to engage in risky or violent behaviors are also more likely to try synthetic marijuana. But “it’s still important for health professionals and school-based substance-prevention programs to focus on strategies that reduce the initiation of marijuana and synthetic marijuana use,” Clayton said.

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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The NFL and the NFL Players’ Association have officially added synthetic marijuana to the list of banned substances. Players will be tested for synthetic marijuana, also known as “spice,” “K2,” and “blaze,” just like any of the other nine substances on the banned list, including marijuana.

Synthetic marijuana is a growing trend in the U.S., and refers to a few different kinds of products. According to the NIH:

Synthetic cannabinoids refer to a growing number of man-made mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so they can be smoked (herbal incense) or sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices (liquid incense).

These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are related to chemicals found in the marijuana plant. 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. In fact, they may affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana; their actual effects can be unpredictable and, in some cases, severe or even life-threatening.

Synthetic marijuana has been all over the news a lot lately–a massive group overdose on K2 in Brooklyn, New York this summer worried many observers. Thirty-three people were hospitalized in that incident. Synthetic marijuana, due to the fact that it can be produced in different formulas, is hard to render illegal. Once one particular combination is outlawed, another pops up.

There have been a couple recent instances of players behaving strangely after taking synthetic marijuana. Chandler Jones, who was on the New England Patriot’s roster at the time but was later traded to the Arizona Cardinals, was hospitalized after having a bad reaction to the drug. Derrick Coleman, who plays for the Seattle Seahawks also allegedly took synthetic marijuana before becoming involved in a hit-and-run accident.

The NFL and NFLPA also released a few other changes to the drug policies, including the rule that any drug tests in the offseason use samples that are produced no more than four hours after the players are notified. According to the Denver Post, the list of banned performance enhancing drugs now includes “growth hormone secretagogues and growth hormone-releasing hormones and peptides.”

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

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The scene at the border of Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick neighborhoods Tuesday afternoon looked like something out of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Dozens of people  were slumped over in the streets, while some were staggering and bracing themselves against buildings–unable to stand up straight. The bizarre behavior was the result of a mass overdose on K2, also known as synthetic marijuana or spice, at the corner of Broadway and Myrtle–the epicenter of the drug’s epidemic was dubbed “Zombieland” by residents and cops.

33 people hospitalized after calls about mass K2 overdose in Brooklyn: NYPD https://t.co/BUxMuVKOU5 via @NBCNewYork pic.twitter.com/psIO3zHPC3

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 13, 2016

According to the New York Times, a spokesman for the Fire Department said eight people were taken from the Stockton Street area to Woodhull Medical Center suffering from “altered mental states,” lethargy and respiratory issues around 9:40 AM. Others were found in the surrounding area.

UPDATE: 33 people overdose on K2 in BedStuy Tues.; many seen collapsed on sidewalk https://t.co/MwNfe3PA8T pic.twitter.com/LiehXm5Kib

— Aidan Gardiner (@AidanGardiner) July 13, 2016

After the initial call, more and more people began to surface in the intersection exhibiting erratic behavior. Some were confrontational, fighting police, while others appeared to be paralyzed by the drug’s effects.

Brian Arthur, 38, streamed the scene live on Facebook. Warning, the video contains some vulgar language.

K2 has quickly grown in popularity because not only is it addictive and offers a high similar to marijuana, but it’s cheap–costing as little as $1 a joint. But it isn’t a new drug.

Spice consumption was popular first in the U.K. in 2004, and then later became prevalent in the U.S. in 2008. It can be extremely dangerous because it  is technically made of synthetic cannabinoids, or chemicals designed to mimic the effect of THC on the brain, and users can never be certain which chemicals they are actually getting in any given dose.

Smoking the drug can lead to slew of adverse side effects, which include: kidney failure, arrested heart rate, high blood pressure, loss of consciousness, violent behavior, nausea, vomiting, tremors, seizures, hallucinations, paranoia, agitation, anxiety, and even death, according to the state Department of Health.

New York, like many other cities, has banned the manufacture and sale of K2, but authorities have failed to crack a dent in the growing epidemic. Many convenience stores and bodegas have been caught selling the drug, but lackluster punishments have had a minimal effect on stopping the practice. Individual clerks caught selling face only a fine of up to $500 and 15 days in jail.

New York’s mass overdose Tuesday cast a necessary spotlight on K2–which has been linked to recent surges in hospitalizations and calls to poison control centers–but it’s clear NYC authorities are struggling to clean up the drug hotspot.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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