It seems like society is teeming with marijuana everywhere you look. Of course I live in a state where medical marijuana is currently legal so I see the dispensaries all over the place. If there wasn’t enough real weed, now there is a growing market for synthetic marijuana.
One area that has seen a great increase among synthetic marijuana user is the US military. Men, armed to the teeth, in incredibly stressful situations, doped out of their mind. Sounds like a lethal cocktail right?
U.S. troops are increasingly using an easy-to-get herbal mix called "Spice," which mimics a marijuana high, is hard to detect and can bring on hallucinations that last for days.
Military leaders are alarmed to the point of launching a major campaign of drug testing to stop it. So far they have investigated more than 1,000 suspected users.
So-called "synthetic" pot is readily available on the Internet and has become popular nationwide in recent years, but its use among troops and sailors is of serious concern to the Pentagon.
Two years ago, only 29 Marines and sailors were investigated for Spice. This year, the number topped 700, the investigative service said. Those found guilty of using Spice are kicked out, although the Navy does not track the overall number of dismissals.
The Air Force has punished 497 airmen so far this year, compared to last year's 380, according to figures provided by the Pentagon. The Army does not track Spice investigations but says it has medically treated 119 soldiers for the synthetic drug in total.
Spice and other chemical substances have no place in society. The growing epidemic of drug abuse all over the planet has me concerned. I think there needs to be stronger attention to having our military personnel take drug classes.
source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/30/synthetic-marijuana-use-us-troops_n_1176879.html