Drugs are illegal because they hurt people, right? Maybe not always, some drugs that are legally sold right here in the good ol’ U S of A are much more terrifying than anything you learned about on an after school special.
10. Spice, Bizarro, K2, Scooby Snax, and Other Synthetic Cannabinoids
About the time most kids roll into high school, they are at least a little bit curious about trying marijuana. Unfortunately it is still illegal in most states, leading to more and more teens trying synthetic blends instead. The issue affects more than just teens though. On one Thursday in July 2015, paramedics were forced to respond to three separate incidents in which grown men were acting strange due to synthetic cannabanoid use. The first man was found clinging to a light pole when police arrived, he then dropped his pants for some reason. The next man was found laughing hysterically, so much so that the paramedics had a tough time even keeping him on the stretcher. The last man was found in Capitol Hill acting quite strangely; when police tried to restrain him, he began kicking and screaming. The chemicals are typically designed in unregulated labs in China and India and then sprayed on smokable herbs and spices…sounds pretty safe, huh?
9. Ambien / Lunesta
Don’t you hate it when you go to sleep and wake up driving or grocery shopping in the middle of the night? Oh, you have never done that? Some users of Ambien and Lunesta have! The two sleep aids have reportedly caused more than a few car accidents when users took sleep walking to a whole new level. On top of this, they have also both been known to cause vivid night terrors. Both of the drugs now carry warnings for the two bizarre effects.
8. Benzo Fury (5-APB)
Benzo Fury is a legal designer drug aimed at mimicking the effects of ecstasy. Studies on user brain activity and user testimonials point to it being a pretty close match…but with a few key differences that could ruin your life. 5-H2A receptors are a serotonin receptor in your brain that become highly active while on Benzo Fury, this suggests that it can constrict blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure. On top of this, Benzo Fury has also been shown to be addictive in humans.
7. Etorphine
Unlike the other drugs on this list, etorphine is only legal for veterinary use. This may have something to do with the fact that it was made to knock out elephants and other large mammals, and mere contact with human skin is enough to make someone overdose and possibly die. The drug is also sold with a human antidote called naloxone that has to be prepared prior to the etorphine just in case it happens to get on the person administering it.
6. MXE (Methoxetamine)
Much like Benzo Fury, MXE is a legal designer drug aimed at mimicking the effects of an illegal drug. MXE is described as “a lot like ketamine” by drug education website, Erowid, except for it lasts right around 3-5 hours…holy shit! For those of you that don’t know, ketamine is a dissociative drug; dissociatives can cause shifts in perception of reality, general confusion, dizziness, and disassociation from your mind and body. Imagine that, if you will, for 5 hours. The drug can also cause psychological dependency, depression of heart rate, and depression of respiration.
