What do young people understand about synthetic cannabinoids in vapes?

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), sometimes known as spice or K2, are illegal substances made in a lab. They were initially designed to copy the effects of the main active substance in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

However, SCs are far more potent than cannabis. They are associated with a higher risk of:

• Psychosis
• Seizures
• Withdrawal
• Death

We don’t know much about how they are used or about the risks associated with different SC types. However, SCs have been implicated in almost half of non-natural deaths in prisons in England and Wales. Synthetic cannabinoids are used widely in prisons partly because they are undetectable in mandatory drug testing.

A recent study tested vapes routinely collected by 27 schools in different parts of England and identified SCs in almost 1 in 5 samples. It is possible young people are using vapes containing SCs without knowing. They may believe the vapes contain cannabis instead. This is particularly concerning as about 6% of 11–15-year-olds report having used cannabis in the last year and about 20% of 15-year-olds report using vapes.

Project aims

During this project we wanted to:

• Develop our understanding of how to minimise harm from SCs in young people who use vapes
• Explore how using a new SC point-of-care testing device could reduce harm in schools and drug treatment services

What we did

We spoke to groups of:

• Young people from diverse backgrounds
• Parents
• Secondary school teachers

We heard that some young people are using illicit substances in vapes, including synthetic cannabinoids. Sometimes this is unintentional, as young people don’t always know exactly what’s in their vapes.

The work we did on this project helped us identify key questions that require further investigation, such as:

• What proportion of young people have been exposed to synthetic cannabinoids in vapes?
• How might this impact their health?

Our research also informed the design of a further study to address these questions.

What next

The work we carried out with young people, parents and teachers on this subject resulted in a successful grant application to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

We are now conducting a school-based survey to find out more about young people’s exposure to illicit substances in vapes.