Marijuana alternative produces bad buzz.

• Position: Psychotic Episodes - Laboratory product K2 - Brief article

Medics have treated numerous patients for bad reactions to the consumption of K2, a lab product with varying chemical composition that mimics the effects of marijuana. 'These new drugs are often marketed as legal highs," says Jane Maxwell, a senior research scientist with the School of Social Work's Addiction Research Institute at the University of Texas, Austin.

"Manufacturers are constantly creating and marketing new variations to the formulations, so they can stay ahead of the latest Federal and state legal definitions and laws to avoid prosecution. One almost needs to have a background in organic chemistry to understand their content and their effects."

K2 comes in colorful three-ounce plastic pouches decorated with psychedelic designs, and is marketed as a safe, herbal alternative to marijuana. It can be bought at convenience stores, head shops, online, and on the street.

"Due to the variation in chemical additives, users don't know exactly what they're getting in each packet or the dose level, and the effects can therefore be...