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Synthetic Cannabis Use in Israel: “Nice or Bad Guy—Spice”

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Abstract

An alarming increase in the use/abuse of synthetic psychoactive substances known as “designer drugs” or “legal highs” (“Nice Guy” in Israel) has caused the governments of many countries including the USA to pass legislation banning the sale, possession, and use of specific synthetic cathinones and cannabinoids. “New psychoactive substances” (NPS) pose a public health risk. Early research on synthetic cannabinoids done in the 1980s and 1990s describes benign outcomes. Research in vivo in animals supported the positive influence of synthetic cannabinoids as an antiemetic used to prevent vomiting and nausea. However, reports of emergency departments evidence the toxicity and side effects of synthetic cannabinoids. This situation calls for policy, law enforcement, and medical intervention to address this growing problem.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Recanati School of for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel

    Oren Wacht

  2. Kupat Holim Clalit, Israel National Health Services, Beer Sheva, Israel

    Shoshana Melech-Shalom

  3. Department of Nursing, Recanati School of for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel

    Orli Grinstein-Cohen

Authors
  1. Oren Wacht
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  2. Shoshana Melech-Shalom
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  3. Orli Grinstein-Cohen
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Correspondence to Orli Grinstein-Cohen.

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The authors declare that the article is in compliance with the protection of all human and animal rights.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Wacht, O., Melech-Shalom, S. & Grinstein-Cohen, O. Synthetic Cannabis Use in Israel: “Nice or Bad Guy—Spice”. Int J Ment Health Addiction 16, 871–873 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-018-9907-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-018-9907-7

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