Annual Indiana youth survey: Students asked about synthetic marijuana, prescription drugs

Findings from the 23rd Annual Survey of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use revealed that marijuana use in Grades 6 to 12 continues to decrease. This reduction followed a peak in marijuana use from 2008 to 2011. 

While marijuana use is down, it remains more popular than synthetic marijuana.

"Synthetic marijuana is a relatively new drug that is being sold at stores as herbal incense," said Ruth Gassman, director of the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University's School of Public Health-Bloomington. 

The center conducted the survey. "The survey results suggest that synthetic marijuana is being used in conjunction with marijuana for youth across grade levels. This indicates that synthetic marijuana is not substituting marijuana, but is being used as an additional drug."

Synthetic marijuana use Synthetic marijuana refers to a wide variety of herbal mixtures -- dried, shredded plant material sprayed with chemical additives that when smoked are responsible for their mind-altering effects. Often marketed as "safe" and "legal" alternatives to marijuana and sold as incense, this wide variety of products has many names, including "Spice" and "K2."

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