PORT ANGELES — Synthetic drugs sold under the guise of legal herbs have arrived on the North Olympic Peninsula, but the freaky side effects seen in other parts of the nation have yet to hit the region.
“We just have not seen a large prevalence of it,” said Ron Cameron, Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team commander.
The drug, commonly known as “Spice” or “K2,” is a synthetic form of marijuana. The Drug Enforcement Administration banned five chemicals used to make the substances in November.
“It’s chemically treated with man-made chemicals to produce this marijuana-like high,” said Pete Peterson, Clallam County juvenile services director.
“The problem is, these are synthetic drugs. They really haven’t been studied and researched, and the side effects are devastating to some people.”
Through his conversations with juvenile detention center staff, probation officers and treatment providers, Peterson said that although some youngsters are using Spice, it’s not a regional epidemic.
“It’s built up here in this community in the last year or so,” he said.
“We haven’t seen any devastating reactions yet.”
Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict said the synthetic-drug manufacturers are “innovative” in the ways they get around the law.
When a substance is banned, manufacturers make slight alterations to the chemical structure.
“It’s kind of a chemical game that some chemists are playing,” said Jim Borte, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
K2 is being sold at $5.99 per gram on the Internet.
“K2 remains legal everywhere despite false rumors of bans,” reads a banner in all-capital letters on the top of one website.
“Buy the K2 miracle herb now!”
Peterson said: “It’s like chasing your tail trying to keep up with this stuff.”
“Even though it’s banned, it’s difficult to enforce.”
Side effects of Spice and K2 include seizures, hallucinations, paranoid behavior, agitation, nausea, vomiting, racing heartbeat and more, said Dr. Caleb Banta-Green, a University of Washington drug research scientist in a published brief.
“Currently these drugs do not appear to represent a major public health threat in Washington, but there is every reason to believe these types of compounds will continue to be available in the future,” Banta-Green wrote.
“The exact drugs will surely change, especially as more and more states begin to ban specific formulations, driving producers to alter their products slightly, but the major concerns — unknown drug, potency and effects — are likely to continue.”
A new drug test for Spice is helping to identify users.
“That’s a positive note,” Peterson said.
But the test is expensive — about $45 per sample. Spice doesn’t show up on a drug test for marijuana or other common drugs.
“A lot of Spice was sold under the auspices of an incense,” Peterson said.
“They apparently were being sold in stores in our community in little corner markets and that sort of thing.
I will not list [the stores] because I can’t say for sure.”
Peterson said one store apparently posted a sign that advertised a “new herbal incense” that was really Spice.
Jill Dole, a prevention specialist with Clallam County Health and Human Services, said some who have smoked Spice have ended up in emergency rooms “freaked out and hallucinating.”
“It’s a bad trip,” Dole said.
However, alcohol and marijuana remain the drugs of choice among Clallam County youth.
“We’re not seeing a lot of [Spice],” Peterson said.
“And we’re not seeing the psychotic behavior and health issues that can potentially come out of the use of it.”
Jefferson County Sheriff Tony Hernandez said Spice is showing up in East Jefferson County, too.
“It’s a widespread problem,” Hernandez said.
At least 2,700 Americans have fallen ill from synthetic drugs since January — compared with 3,200 for all of last year — according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
“We know they’re out there,” said Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict.
“They’ve had a strong showing in Portland, and they’re probably in Seattle, too.”
Another synthetic drug known as “bath salt” is less prominent on the Peninsula than Spice. Bath salt mimics the effects of methamphetamine.
“That’s a whole other set of chemicals,” Peterson said.
“They look like bath salts but they’re not. There’s a whole bunch of names for them.”
Banta-Green said bath salts are sold in stores under names like Zoom2, Blue Magic, Ivory Wave, SilverBack, White Girl, Red Dove, Blue Silk, Hurricane Charlie, Ocean Snow, Vanilla Sky and more.
“It never really surfaced around here,” Cameron said.
While Spice is typically smokes, bath salts are snorted, smoked, injected, and even mixed with water as a beverage, Banta-Green said.
Side effects of bath salts include teeth-grinding, chest pains, increased blood pressure and heart rate, agitation, hallucinations, delusions, extreme paranoia, erratic behavior and seizures, Banta-Green said.
“People are willing to try anything to alter their reality,” Borte said.
“It puts them in great risk.”
The state Pharmacy Board on April 15 filed emergency rules designed to ban the sale and manufacture of bath salts.
The board filed the rules after the Washington State Poison Center reported a growing number of calls about people who ingested products used as substitutes for cocaine and methamphetamine.
Peterson said he hasn’t heard much talk about bath salts from Clallam County youths.
“It’s probably just a matter of time,” he said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
