Illegal Drug Use: The Use of Marijuana in the United States, Research Paper Example

Marijuana is one of the most commonly used drugs for medical and recreational uses. Due to changing laws in many in many states, marijuana has become completely legal for adult consumption. As a consequence of this legislation, however, there has been a need to enforce marijuana legislation more strictly in neighboring states to ensure that the drug does not cross borders. Acquisition of marijuana in states that both prohibit its sale and possession are typically grown illegally within that state. Therefore, it becomes more challenging for law enforcement to determine the location of drug sources. An additional problem that the law enforcement teams in these states are facing is that many synthetic marijuana strains are being created. Some of these drugs are able to produce the same effect as marijuana and yield profitable sales because they are considered legal. Thus, one of the most common practices with regards to marijuana use enforcement is determining whether the seized drug is really marijuana. To do so, intricate chemical testing needs to be performed.

In the United States, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, indicating that it has a high potential for abuse, there is no currently accepted medical use for the drug, and that there is safety concerns pertaining to the drug’s use (Cornell, 1970). Although some states have decided to legalize the drug in spite of the Food and Drug Administration’s classification, it is important to consider that this indicates that the drug cannot be used in any manner in states that have not allowed its use. In addition, individuals working for government agencies in states that have legalized the drug are not able to use the drug if they are employed by federal agencies. Therefore, while it appears that restrictions pertaining to marijuana are becoming less restrictive, the law varies for different parts of the country. A majority of states continue to follow federal regulations of the drug and law enforcement in these areas must follow these standards as a consequence.

While marijuana is illegal, synthetic cannabis is considered to be legal according to many local, state, and federal laws. Because of this understanding, many individuals in the drug business have created synthetic marijuana to continue profiting. However, it is important to consider that these drugs are illegal by default. It is challenging for law enforcement to keep track of the different types of synthetic products being created. While marijuana creates its psychoactive effect due to the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) it contains, synthetic derivatives do not contain this compound, which is purposely left out to ensure its legality. Instead, the THC molecule is often chemically altered in a manner that allows its primary structure to remain the same, but some chemical groups may be substituted out. By keeping the molecule almost the same, drug dealers are able to provide their clients with an equally effective and legal substitute. Since it is technically the THC molecule that is illegal, making THC derivatives has become a common practice.

Despite the fact that many drug dealers have attempted to alter THC to create a legal form of marijuana, this is often an expensive process, which requires the drug that is being purchased to be expensive as well. In addition, these individuals are not subject to any safety requirements when developing their new drug. As a consequence, it is impossible to know the impact that this drug will have on their users. Since THC is effective in the brain, it is likely that a majority of these altered THC molecules will enter the brain as well. This is a dangerous possibility, because chemicals are entering the brain and could possibly cause damage. THC itself has been shown to cause some memory loss and it is possible that when using THC derivatives, memory loss can occur to a greater extent.

While synthetic derivatives are legal, it has been very challenging for law enforcement officials and forensic scientists to promote the illegalization of these compounds. Unfortunately, there are very long and complex procedures needed to put a drug on one of the Schedule lists. This concept becomes more problematic when considering that many forensic scientists are unaware of the chemical identities of the compounds they are receiving. When a lab receives marijuana as evidence, it is necessary for a forensic science lab to test whether or not the material received is marijuana, a synthetic derivative, or something else entirely. This analysis is performed using chromatography and NMR spectroscopy to determine whether the compound seized matches the profile of marijuana. If the profile matches the drug, it is considered illegal and the analysis will be used as evidence against the holder. However, if it doesn’t match, the product is not considered illegal and no action will be taken against the holder of the drug.

Since this is the process followed, there is not a lot of time that can be dedicated to determining the true identity of the drug. Instead, the forensic chemists simply attempt to determine whether the drug is or is not marijuana. To file the proper report to make a drug illegal, it is necessary for the research team to determine the structure of the chemical and to send it to the Food and Drug Administration for review. However, this is not feasible for a typical forensic lab. Not only does it take a lot of time to confirm the identity of a synthetic strain, it is likely that the Food and Drug Administration would take a long period of time to review the report. Furthermore, since there is not much clinical evidence that describes the drug’s effect, the responsible committee will not be able to make an informed decision and may elect to wait until more evidence about the drug becomes available. Therefore, changes in law enforcement for synthetic strains of marijuana appear to be at a standstill. Currently, not much can be done about the variety of synthetic drugs available in our community, despite the negative health effects that many of them cause.

It is evident that the individuals that produce synthetic marijuana do so primarily for financial gain. Although use of these synthetic compounds does not appear to be prevalent, their use has been linked to deaths. Prior to the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, three people had died and 75 people were injured as a result of synthetic drug use. Unfortunately, the identity of the drug had not been reported. In the most recent article citing the incident the local government reported that “We still need to look at what the chemical compound is” (Coffman, 2013). However, it is unclear as to whether this research was actually completed. Furthermore, the article explains that synthetic marijuana was readily available in head shops, gas stations, and over the internet, making it readily accessible. Therefore, it is clear that synthetic marijuana is highly available and highly dangerous, calling for a need to consider changing the status of these drugs to illegal.

Many scientists have argued that synthetic marijuana is actually more dangerous than the original compound. Studies using THC on mice revealed that the drug is a partial antagonist, meaning that it attaches to only some of the brain receptors that are able to recognize it. On the other hand, a majority of synthetic cannabis compounds were found to be full antagonists. While it is challenging to determine the exact biological consequences of this process, it is important to understand that the cannabinoid receptors, CB1R and CB2R, are used by the body to receive other chemical messages (Fantegrossi et al., 2014). Neurotransmitters are used by the brain to send important chemical processes that control body processes. They use chemical receptors to ensure that the chemical message is sent. When these receptors are blocked, for example, by synthetic cannabinoids, the body is unable to complete its normal functioning. When they are completely blocked this becomes even more problematic and the body is unable to accomplish normal processes, potentially contributing to body damage (Mir et al., 2011). It is important to take action to prevent this from happening.

Other studies examined the effects of synthetic marijuana on people during its used and after its use was ended. Physicians who examined these individuals found that there were severe withdrawal effects observed, which can be explained in part by the fact that these drugs are full antagonists. Because the drug interferes with brain function more severely, it is more likely to bring about withdrawal symptoms than normal strains of the drug (Bryner, 2010). In fact, physicians observed that withdrawal symptoms were so severe that they appeared to be similar to narcotic withdrawal. While it is not ethical to conduct large scale human studies of synthetic marijuana due to the known negative effects of using the drug, the observations that have been collected as a consequence of medical necessity have indicated that many users of synthetic marijuana have experienced negative health impacts. Therefore, it would be reasonable for the state and federal governments to take steps towards reducing its legality.

At this point in time, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that synthetic cannabinoids should not be allowed for legal use. Studies have shown that these drugs are more harmful that regular marijuana. While marijuana is on the Schedule I list and completely prohibited from use in many instances, synthetic cannabinoids are free to be used and continue to be sold in many locations. Even in states that have legalized marijuana use for medical or recreational purposes, there is more regulation of the drug than there is for synthetic cannabinoids. Therefore, it is important for lawmakers to enact legislation that will promote research to help readily identify synthetic marijuana in forensic labs and to create laws that will prohibit these precise derivatives from being sold.

It is important for modern law enforcement to keep up with the times. Because drug dealers still want to make a profit, they will find ways to continue selling drugs to the population. As a result, law enforcement has to be ready to keep up with the changing availability of drugs to help put the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids to an end. Since these drugs are readily accessible, it is possible that they could be accessed by young children. Furthermore, teenagers and adults that use the drug are not aware of the negative health effects that could occur as a result of its use.  Therefore, it is the responsibility of the government step in and help protect the health of these people. Lawmakers, law enforcement, and the Food and Drug Administration must work together to determine how to rapidly detect the chemical makeup of synthetic cannabinoids and immediately craft laws that place them on a scheduled drug list.

For drug law enforcement to continue to be effective, it is necessary to keep up with the creativity of the criminals. The legality of synthetic drugs is one of the biggest and most unfortunate loop holes in the law today. Filling this gap will strengthen the abilities of law enforcement teams to protect members of the public and to ensure that drug dealers are not able to profit as a consequence of gaps that exist for legislation. While synthetic marijuana is one such example of the need for law enforcement and law makers to work together to enhance practices, there is also room for improvement in other categories. However, considering the health implications of this issue, making synthetic cannabinoids illegal is an excellent place to start. Eliminating this drug from the streets and stores will help Americans remain healthy and unnecessary deaths will be avoided as a result.

References

Bryner, J. (2010). Fake Weed, Real Drug: K2 Causing Hallucinations in Teens. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/6149-fake-weed-real-drug-k2-causing-hallucinations-  teens.html

Coffman, K. (2013). Colorado probes three deaths possibly linked to synthetic marijuana. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/06/us-usa-colorado-spice- idUSBRE98516A20130906

Cornell. (1970). 21 U.S. Code § 812 – Schedules of controlled substances. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/812

Fantegrossi, W. E.; Moran, J. H.; Radominska-Pandya, A; Prather, P. L. (2014). Distinct pharmacology and metabolism of K2 synthetic cannabinoids compared to ?9-THC: Mechanism underlying greater toxicity?. Life Sciences, 97(1): 45–54.

Mir, A; Obafemi, A; Young A; Kane C. (2011). Myocardial Infarction Associated With Use of the Synthetic Cannabinoid K2. Pediatrics, 128(6): 1622-1627.