In recent years, synthetic cannabis addiction, also known as addiction to Joker or synthetic hashish, has spread significantly, especially among the youth. This type of drug originated as an attempt to imitate the effect of natural hashish, but it quickly turned into a widespread danger due to its ease of manufacture and variety of compounds.
Governments, including Turkey, have faced great challenges in containing synthetic cannabis addiction, as they updated laws to criminalize synthetic substances, tightened control, and launched awareness campaigns aimed at prevention and treatment. This rapid spread makes it necessary to understand the general context of this phenomenon before delving into its effects. At the beginning, Joker was promoted as a safe or legal alternative to hashish, but the reality proved completely opposite, as many of its components were banned in most countries after thousands of cases of poisoning, schizophrenia, convulsions, and sometimes death were recorded.
What is a Joker drug?
Joker is a name given in some Arab countries to a dangerous type of synthetic drug, known globally by names such as Spice, K2 or synthetic cannabis, unlike natural cannabis, which is extracted from the cannabis plant, Joker does not contain natural substances, but consists of ineffective dry herbs that are sprayed with lab-made chemicals to mimic the effect of THC found in cannabis.
The irony is that the chemicals used in Joker are several times more potent than natural THC, making the effect unpredictable and dangerous to the brain and body, Joker is manufactured by spraying chemicals on dried herbs and is often used by smoking, and Joker is a highly toxic synthetic drug, as it causes severe and unexpected psychological and physical effects such as hallucinations, loss of consciousness, heart disorders and in some cases may lead to death.
What causes synthetic cannabis addiction?
Joker is addictive because it contains synthetic cannabinoids that bind directly to cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) in the brain – the same receptors that interact with THC in natural cannabis, but Joker binds to them more strongly and abnormally, leading to:
- Intense brain stimulation: Joker stimulates the release of abnormal amounts of dopamine leading to a sudden and strong feeling of euphoria and euphoria, making the user unable to feel satisfaction except through the substance, which drives the user to repeat use.
- A change in brain chemistry Repeated use depletes the natural dopamine supply, reducing the number of healthy dopamine receptors, making the user dependent on Joker to get the same sensation, which is known as psychological addiction.
- Tolerance: The brain develops an increasing resistance to the effect of the substance, making neurons require stronger stimuli to respond, in some cases users need doses 10 times higher than the starting dose.
Stages of synthetic cannabis addiction
Synthetic cannabis addiction is primarily psychological and behavioral, but in many cases it develops into physical dependence:
- Initiation: Some may think that Joker is just a stronger form of cannabis, leading to a temporary feeling of euphoria or detachment from reality, which may be accompanied by excessive nervous stimulation or a state of psychological escape.
- Frequent use and cravings: The brain begins to rely on the chemical to regulate mood, causing the person to crave jokers every time they feel anxious, distressed, or empty.
- Dependence: The person becomes unable to stop despite the harms, losing control of their behavior, and their need for the substance gradually increases as their mental and physical condition deteriorates.
- Withdrawal: The person experiences severe psychological withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, stress, irritability, and compulsion to return to using, with less severe physical symptoms such as insomnia, headaches, and a strong desire to return to using to avoid pain.
- Recovery: This is where a person begins the journey of recovery from addiction through psychotherapy and medical and social support.
What are the effects of synthetic cannabis addiction on the brain?
Joker affects the brain by binding to cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system, specifically the CB1 receptor, which leads to harm, damage, and dysfunction in the brain, the following are the most important effects of synthetic cannabis addiction on the brain:
- Disruption of brain chemistry: Synthetic cannabis addiction leads to an excessive or irregular release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which disrupts neural signaling between brain cells, causing disruptions in thinking and emotions.
- Damage to areas of cognition and memory: Repeated use of Joker may affect the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning, causing poor concentration and temporary or permanent memory loss.
- Increased risk of psychosis: Synthetic cannabis addiction may trigger episodes of acute psychosis, such as auditory or visual hallucinations and paranoia, as well as severe disorders of perception and detachment from reality.
- Dysfunctional emotional control centers: Synthetic cannabis addiction affects the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making, leading to aggressive or irrational behavior and excessive impulsivity with a lack of judgment.
- Long-term effects: With chronic use, Joker may cause permanent structural changes in the brain, increasing the risk of mental disorders such as depression, chronic anxiety,and bipolar disorder.
Joker affects the brain more strongly and more dangerously than regular cannabis and causes disruption of cognitive function, mood and emotions, leading to permanent damage to the neural structure if used repeatedly.
What are the symptoms of synthetic cannabis addiction?
The symptoms of synthetic cannabis addiction vary between physical and psychological, and pose a great danger to the general health and daily behavior of the user, some of which may appear immediately and some of which are long-term symptoms of Joker drug addiction.
Immediate symptoms include:
- Cognitive disorders: These include disorientation and loss of contact with reality.
- Physiological responses: Such as rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, dry mouth and red eyes.
- Neurological symptoms: Excessive sweating, involuntary movements or convulsions, and loss of balance accompanied by dizziness.
- Serious psychological effects: Visual or auditory hallucinations, panic attacks, and a tendency toward violence or suicidal behavior.
The long-term effects of synthetic cannabis addiction:
- Deterioration of cognitive function, including poor memory and lack of concentration
- Neuropsychiatric disorders such as chronic depression, severe mood swings, and recurrent psychosis, with some cases possibly progressing to schizophrenia
- Physical damage in the form of impaired kidney and liver function and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (such as heart attacks and strokes)
- Chronic sleep disorders that exacerbate health and mental health issues
Health risks of synthetic cannabis addiction
The health risks resulting from synthetic cannabis addiction are among the most serious that users face, as this substance directly and quickly affects the brain, heart and other vital organs, causing physical and psychological disorders that may reach the point of death, here are some of the health risks of synthetic cannabis addiction:
- Central nervous system and cognitive function: Synthetic cannabis addiction leads to psychotic episodes often accompanied by visual and auditory hallucinations and disorientation, neuronal damage, white matter degeneration, advanced cognitive impairment in memory and executive function, increased risk of acute psychotic symptoms, and may trigger mental disorders such as schizophrenia in genetically predisposed individuals, but is not a direct cause of schizophrenia in everyone.
- Cardiovascular complications: Synthetic cannabis addiction causes cardiac complications manifested by cardiac arrhythmias up to ventricular fibrillation and sudden systolic hypertension, as well as acute myocardial ischemia with a risk of myocardial infarction, toxic cardiomyopathy, early atherosclerosis and a threefold increased risk of strokes.
- Organic toxicity: Due to the high toxicity of the chemicals and the body’s attempt to break down the toxins, kidney failure or toxic hepatitis may occur, resulting in the accumulation of toxins in the blood due to the inability of the organs to eliminate them, swelling of the body and fluid retention in cases of kidney failure.
- Respiratory system: Synthetic cannabis addiction causes shortness of breath and respiratory seizures, and may lead to chemical pneumonia as a result of inhaling harmful substances, in some cases leading to sudden respiratory arrest.
- The immune system and glands: Synthetic cannabis addiction may cause hormone dysregulation, causing sex hormone deficiency, testicular atrophy, and secondary amenorrhea. Synthetic cannabis addiction also causes impaired cellular immunity with increased susceptibility to infections.
- Chronic physical symptoms: Joker use leads to chronic physical complications including malnutrition, neuropathy, and deteriorating oral health; these effects lead to a 15-20 year reduction in life expectancy, up to 80% reduction in quality of life, and significantly higher rates of disability and healthcare costs.
- Withdrawal symptoms: When attempting to stop using Joker, severe withdrawal symptoms appear, including anxiety, stress, severe depression with a desire to isolate, chronic insomnia, difficulty sleeping, profuse sweating and constant shivering, as well as a strong desire to return to use, and temporary panic attacks or hallucinations may occur during the withdrawal period.
Joker abuse from even the first dose can lead to coma or first-time seizures, and Synthetic cannabis addiction can cause sudden cardiac arrest, making its use fraught with severe and potentially life-threatening health risks.
How to treat synthetic cannabis addiction
synthetic cannabis addiction treatment is not easy, but it is possible and effective if done under specialized medical and psychological supervision, since joker contains unknown and stable chemicals, the body and mind are exposed to severe disorders that require specialized care, the treatment steps usually include:
- Comprehensive assessment: This stage includes advanced laboratory tests to determine the level of toxins in the body, with a comprehensive assessment of the functions of vital organs, especially the liver, kidneys, and heart. A detailed neuropsychological assessment is conducted using standardized scales to diagnose concomitant psychiatric disorders, and the addiction history is thoroughly analyzed to identify contributing social and environmental factors.
- Medical detoxification: Under specialized medical supervision, the goal is to safely cleanse the body of the effects of the Joker, in which customized medication protocols are used to control withdrawal symptoms, extended-release antidepressants, neuroprotective medications, and supportive therapies for damaged organ function.
- Intensive rehabilitation: It lasts from 3 to 6 months and focuses on supporting the recovering person psychologically, mentally and socially. It includes the use of medications to reduce the desire to use and improve mood and cognitive functions, as well as psychotherapy programs such as cognitive behavioral therapy, emotion management, trauma treatment, social skills training, cognitive enhancement and vocational rehabilitation, which helps in returning to a normal life and reducing the chances of relapse.
- Community reintegration phase: A step-by-step plan to return to normal life, including family therapy sessions, relapse prevention programs, and weekly medical and psychological follow-up.
- Long-term follow-up: Periodic check-ups, monthly booster sessions and support groups, and quick interventions can be made when signs of relapse occur.
Full commitment to the treatment program, effective family support, and a stimulating therapeutic environment are key factors in the success of synthetic cannabis addiction treatment, and continuous follow-up after the end of the program contributes to achieving psychological and behavioral stability and preventing relapse.
What are the challenges in overcoming synthetic cannabis addiction?
Synthetic cannabis addiction is one of the most dangerous types of addiction, not only because of its toxic chemical composition, but also because of the complex and multiple challenges that the recovering person faces on the road to recovery, these challenges are physical, psychological and social, and require awareness, support and great patience.
- The instability of the joker’s composition: Since it does not have a standardized formula and each batch is made with different substances, this makes it difficult to accurately determine the effects of the drug, thus complicating treatment and dealing with symptoms.
- Severe withdrawal symptoms: Withdrawal symptoms appear upon abrupt cessation of use as a result of neurochemical imbalance, causing anxiety attacks, panic, severe depression, suicidal thoughts, tremors, convulsions and sleep disorders, some cases require hospitalization to deal with withdrawal safely.
- Long-term psychological effects: Many people in recovery experience intermittent hallucinations, severe mood swings, and impaired memory and attention; these symptoms may last for months or even years, requiring long-term psychotherapy.
- Fear of society and lack of support: Many addicts are afraid to seek treatment due to shame or fear of social judgment, and in some cases the family itself is unaware of how to support them or refuses to believe that what is happening is a disease that needs to be treated.
- Frequent relapse: Joker is a substance that causes intense cravings even after a period of abstinence, so any psychological pressure, stress, or difficult situations can lead to a return to use, so providing a psychological support plan after treatment is essential to prevent relapse.
- Lack of awareness of the seriousness of joker: Many young people mistakenly believe that Joker is just a type of cannabis, without realizing that it is extremely dangerous, increasing the likelihood of relapse and underestimating the symptoms.
- Difficulty accessing specialized treatment centers: In some areas, there are not enough or specialized Joker treatment centers or the cost is high, making it difficult for some to complete treatment.
The role of the family in treating Joker drug addiction
The family plays a pivotal role in a person’s recovery from synthetic cannabis addiction, as it can be a powerful catalyst towards recovery. Since synthetic cannabis addiction is associated with severe psychological and behavioral disorders, an aware and supportive family presence becomes a necessity rather than an option.
- As many families deny the existence of addiction out of fear of scandal or stigma, the issue must be recognized and dealt with as a disease that needs treatment and not as a moral weakness or personal failure
- Psychological and emotional support: Recovering joker addicts go through mood swings, depression and constant anxiety, here the importance of the family embracing them instead of blaming or boycotting them, showing understanding and creating a safe environment that promotes the desire to continue treatment.
- Participate in the treatment plan: The family should participate in psychological sessions, as understanding the stages of treatment and possible symptoms helps them to act wisely when sudden episodes or relapses arise.
- Remove triggers from the home environment: It is necessary to remove any influences that may push the recovering person to return to drug use, such as bad friends, places associated with drug use, or psychological stress, while providing a calm and psychologically stable environment that enhances the chances of recovery.
- Promote confidence and a sense of responsibility: After a long period of self-destruction, the recovering person needs to regain their self-confidence. Encourage them to work or study and praise any progress they make, which will restore their sense of worth.
- Prepare to deal with relapses: Relapse is to be expected in some cases, and the family’s role here is to not lose hope and consider the relapse as part of the treatment and not a failure.
An attentive family can make the difference between breakdown and recovery. Having a support system that is honest, cruelty-free, understanding and inclusive can often be more effective than any pharmaceutical treatment.
In conclusion, Synthetic cannabis addiction causes a direct and strong impact on brain chemistry, as it overstimulates the centers of euphoria, which leads to severe psychological dependence and the emergence of strong withdrawal symptoms, making it difficult to quit without specialized therapeutic intervention. Despite the challenges, recovery is possible by developing an integrated treatment program that includes medical and psychological aspects and the presence of perceptive and effective family and social support with perseverance and commitment to follow-up treatment over the long term and providing a healthy environment free of triggers and psychological pressures.
Sources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). About synthetic cannabinoids. National Center for Environmental Health
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). Drug-related emergency department visits involving synthetic cannabinoids
