Article de Périodique
United States drug prohibition and legal highs: How drug testing may lead cannabis users to Spice (2013)
Auteur(s) :
PERRONE, D. ;
HELGESEN, R. D. ;
FISCHER, R. G.
Année
2013
Page(s) :
216-224
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
LOI (Loi et son application / Law enforcement)
Thésaurus géographique
ETATS-UNIS
Thésaurus mots-clés
DROGUES DE SYNTHESE
;
PRODUIT ILLICITE
;
PROHIBITION
;
CANNABIS
;
CANNABINOIDES
;
POLITIQUE
;
ETUDE QUALITATIVE
;
DEPISTAGE
;
TYPE D'USAGE
;
ENQUETE
;
TRAJECTOIRE
Résumé :
Aims: At the time of the study, the synthetic cannabinoid K2/K3, which is sold as 'Spice' incense, was legal in many states in the US. Because the US Drug Enforcement Agency has emergency scheduled 'Spice', the producers of these synthetic substances have altered their chemical compounds to remain legal and on the market. This study seeks to understand the reasons for use of these substances and the role US drug policy plays in encouraging use.
Methods: Employed a mixed-methods approach. We surveyed 374 undergraduate students in a Southern California University and conducted 25 qualitative interviews of users who answered a newspaper or flyer advertisement of the study.
Findings: Most of the users in the qualitative sample sought a legal alternative to cannabis (their drug of choice) to avoid positive drug test screenings and criminal sanctions. Many were attending abstinence-only drug treatment programmes, under community corrections, or were seeking a career in the US military. These individuals were randomly drug tested and knew that the metabolites of synthetic cannabis are not detected in standard urine drug screenings.
Conclusions: US drug policies - the prohibition of marijuana and the proliferation of drug testing - have led users to seek out legal highs.
Methods: Employed a mixed-methods approach. We surveyed 374 undergraduate students in a Southern California University and conducted 25 qualitative interviews of users who answered a newspaper or flyer advertisement of the study.
Findings: Most of the users in the qualitative sample sought a legal alternative to cannabis (their drug of choice) to avoid positive drug test screenings and criminal sanctions. Many were attending abstinence-only drug treatment programmes, under community corrections, or were seeking a career in the US military. These individuals were randomly drug tested and knew that the metabolites of synthetic cannabis are not detected in standard urine drug screenings.
Conclusions: US drug policies - the prohibition of marijuana and the proliferation of drug testing - have led users to seek out legal highs.
Affiliation :
Department of Criminal Justice, California State University-Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, USA
Cote :
Abonnement
Historique