A new study found that “Spice” has more severe withdrawal symptoms than cannabis, and they are “significantly worse” than for those trying to give up cannabis.
According to researchers at the University of Bath, “Spice”, or synthetic marijuana, which is a mix of herbs and laboratory-made chemicals with mind-altering effects, is much more harmful than cannabis.
Medical Xpress reports that in the study, more than two in three who have tried Spice said the withdrawal symptoms – including sleep issues, irritability, and low mood – were unbearable compared to those coming down from cannabis.
Sam Craft, the lead author and PhD student, said: “Although originally produced as a legal alternative to cannabis, our findings show that Spice is a far more harmful drug and people attempting to quit are likely to experience a range of severe withdrawal symptoms.
“It’s therefore important that greater effort is made to ensure that Spice is not used as a substitute for cannabis, or any other drug, and people experiencing problems with Spice should be supported with treatment.”
In the study, the psychologists asked hundreds of people who used both cannabis and Spice to compare their effects.
The researchers were interested in getting answers to some questions, such as “how likely a drug is to result in long-term harm, such as how severe withdrawal symptoms are, how long the effects last and how quickly tolerance develops (meaning that larger amounts of the drug are required to produce the same effect as before).”
It is clear: the impact Spice had on them was considered to be much harmful than cannabis – plus, the withdrawal symptoms were more severe as well.
The solution? A change is required as leaving people alone with their drug issues failed; urgent help is needed!
Dr Tom Freeman, the senior author and Director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, added: “These findings identify severe withdrawal symptoms as a key clinical problem among people using Spice, and highlight the urgent need to develop effective treatments to help people quit.”
