With the recent hospitalization of celebrity Demi Moore, media attention has focused once again on the use of designer drugs, including the synthetic marijuana substance K2/Spice. Wavering between a “legal high” and an illicit street drug, five of the chemical components that comprise K2/Spice are currently listed on the Controlled Substances catalog as Schedule I drugs. However, placement of a drug on the CSA does not, by default, make it illegal. This determination falls under the jurisdiction of individual states. While many states have made K2/Spice illegal, specifics of the laws vary greatly.

Illegal or not, K2/Spice is a dangerous substance and its use has infiltrated all aspects of society. Originally developed as research tools, the five compounds typically used to create a synthetic cannabinoid have no known legitimate personal use and are not intended for human consumption. Demi Moore’s highly publicized reaction to the drug has prompted greater awareness of K2/Spice abuse and the need for testing.

Until very recently, K2/Spice testing was only offered through specialized labs, which can be difficult to access and quite costly. Express Diagnostics Int’l, a Minnesota-based manufacturer of drug testing devices, has developed a rapid urine on-site test for synthetic marijuana. The DrugCheck® K2/Spice Dip Test brings synthetic marijuana testing to on-site drugs of abuse screening. Two independent laboratory studies confirm that the DrugCheck K2/Spice Dip Test detects both JWH-018 pentanoic acid and JWH-073 butanoic acid at 50 ng/ml, two compounds often found in synthetic marijuana.

Source: Express Diagnostics Int’l Inc