NMS Labs Identifies New Synthetic Marijuana in “Legal Everywhere” Incense Products K3 and K4

WILLOW GROVE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NMS Labs announced today that its monitoring of the widely popular synthetic marijuana products K2, Spice and related blends, has identified a change in the active ingredients. These newer blends underline the importance of testing beyond the more commonly detectable JWH-018 and JWH-073. The latest herbal blends on sale contain a related but chemically different product called JWH-250 which NMS Labs can detect in a blood test or in suspected drug material.

“There have been signs from activity on the Internet, that as states such as Missouri, Pennsylvania and others moved to ban these new recreational drugs that manufacturers have switched to related but chemically distinct products which have the same intoxicating effects, but are not covered by the statutes.”

Barry Logan, PhD, NMS Labs National Director of Forensic Services notes, “There have been signs from activity on the Internet, that as states such as Missouri, Pennsylvania and others moved to ban these new recreational drugs that manufacturers have switched to related but chemically distinct products which have the same intoxicating effects, but are not covered by the statutes.” NMS Labs has been testing incense products purchased over the internet since the Spring in order to develop much needed tests to assist health care providers, drug rehabilitation centers, law enforcement officials, reference labs, and others with the detection of synthetic marijuana use.

Pennsylvania State Representative Bryan R. Lentz (D-161^st) is an outspoken supporter of a PA bill that would outlaw K2 and other so-called "synthetic marijuana" in Pennsylvania. He applauds Dr. Logan and NMS Labs for their work in educating the public and developing blood and urine tests to detect the designer drug in users because, “K2 is odorless so parents cannot detect if it is being used in their homes and, if it is ordered on line, the packaging it arrives in is so nondescript that it would go unnoticed by someone simply collecting the mail. That is why a reliable test is so important in keeping our kids safe.”

These synthetic marijuana compounds have been linked to adverse events, emergency room visits, and impaired driving arrests, especially in young people nationwide. Although the drugs contained in these herbal blends are not currently regulated by the federal government, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has labeled them as chemicals of concern.

“This latest finding was not unexpected, as simple modifications to the chemical structure create a demand for the latest and greatest ‘high.’ While technically not illegal, little is known about the adverse effects of these chemicals, and users are taking some risks by experimenting with them,” said Dr. Logan.

About NMS Labs:

NMS Labs is a national reference laboratory that is unsurpassed in its scope of toxicology tests, accuracy of results, scientific expertise, and innovation. NMS Labs is passionate about promoting public health and safety. For more information on NMS Labs, please visit www.nmslabs.com.