Acute mental disturbance caused by synthetic cannabinoid: A potential emerging substance of abuse in Hong Kong

• Published in: East Asian archives of psychiatry Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 31 - 33
• Main Authors: Tung, C K, Chiang, T P, Lam, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hong Kong Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists 01.03.2012; The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists Ltd; Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
• Subjects: Abstinence; Adult; Antipsychotic Agents - administration & dosage; Antipsychotics; Blood pressure; Cannabinoids; Cannabinoids - adverse effects; Cannabinoids - chemical synthesis; Cannabinoids - pharmacology; Designer drugs; Drug abuse; Drug addicts; Drug testing; Drug withdrawal; Drugs; Emergency medical care; Eye diseases; Families & family life; Humans; Laboratories; Male; Marijuana; Medication Adherence - psychology; Mental illness; Psychoses, Substance-Induced - diagnosis; Psychoses, Substance-Induced - etiology; Psychoses, Substance-Induced - psychology; Psychosis; Psychotropic drugs; Recreational drugs; Remission, Spontaneous; Side effects; Smoking; Street Drugs - adverse effects; Street Drugs - chemical synthesis; Street Drugs - pharmacology; Substance Abuse Detection - methods; Substance-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Substance-Related Disorders - etiology; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Toxicology; Treatment Outcome; Urine; Hong Kong; Hong Kong China; China; Germany
• ISSN: 2078-9947; 2224-7041

Synthetic cannabinoids are hybrid herbal / chemical products which mimic the effects of cannabis. They are usually marketed as incense or 'herbal smoking blend', and best known by the brand names 'K2' and 'Spice'. Their popularity among recreational drug abusers has grown rapidly due to their easy availability, relatively low cost, non-detection by conventional drug tests, and ease of concealing their use from family and authorities. They took Europe and later North America by storm in the late 2000s, yet limited medical literature exists detailing their adverse effects. They began to emerge in the Hong Kong drug scene in 2009. We report on a man who developed acute mental disturbance after 4 weeks of daily K2 abuse. This is the first case report of mental disorder caused by synthetic cannabinoid abuse in a Chinese.