FORT STEWART, Ga. - The word spice makes most people think of cooking. But these days, "spice" has a very different connotation -- instead of the delicious and harmless additives to recipes, this "spice" is synthetic cannabis that mimics the effects of marijuana.
"Spice" or "K2" is the common name for synthetic cannabis, which is often sold as "incense" and can have negative effects including paranoia, hallucinations, rage, chemical dependency, increased heartbeat and breathing difficulty. In fact, these negative effects are so great that on March 1, the Drug Enforcement Administration made the five major synthetic drugs found in spice and other synthetic cannabis illegal to possess or sell on a year-long temporary basis while federal health and safety officials examine their effects.
According to Dr. John Rowlett, Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at St. Joseph's/Candler Hospital in Savannah, these possible effects are especially hazardous for Soldiers.
"I can't think of a field that would be much more dangerous to be impaired in than our military, where we depend on people to make the right decision, to make a quick decision, to make a thoughtful decision," said Dr. Rowlett. "These drugs, by their very intended nature, affect those sort of processes within the brain."
The Army agrees: even before the DEA's decision to outlaw spice, the Secretary of the Army released a memorandum prohibiting all Soldiers from using or possessing spice or any variations, Feb. 11. And on Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, that prohibition is not taken lightly.
"Spice is prohibited, both by the Secretary of the Army and under the Army Substance Abuse Program, (Army Regulation 600-85)," said Command Sgt. Maj. Patrick Blair, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade command sergeant major. "It cannot be taken because it alters the mind -- its mood altering, it changes the mental state. And anything that's taken with that intent is no-go."
If a Soldier is caught using or possessing the substance, the chain of command has authority to punish, according to Capt. Tennaile Timbrook, Officer in Charge of the Hunter Army Airfield Legal Office. Army policies prohibit the use of Spice, and violations could result in punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It could also result in being separated from the Army for misconduct. Captain Timbrook said commanders have available a full range of punishments to deal with Soldiers who choose to use spice.
However, in certain military occupations, such as aviation, being caught using banned substances including synthetic cannabis carries an additional penalty.
"Aviation-specific, you will automatically be subjected to reclassification," said Command Sgt. Maj. Blair. "You lose your MOS, you can't work on aircraft if you're using drugs and, potentially, you can be chaptered out of the Army."
Soldiers in other branches -- including, but not limited to, the Military Police Corps, Military Intelligence, Judge Advocate General Corps and the Medical Corps -- can also lose their position if caught using or possessing spice or any of its variants.
Army career aside, a major risk with spice is that you never really know what's in it: spice is a natural herb that is treated with chemicals that mimic tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC -- the active ingredient in marijuana -- that evokes a marijuana-like psychoactive response. But unlike things you are supposed to put in your body, such as food or medicine, the production of spice isn't regulated and therefore you never know what you're getting.
"These drugs aren't manufactured in a managed facility so you never know what's in there -- what's been treated, what pesticides have been sprayed," Rowlett said. "There are all kinds of other unknowns that can cause great problems. And, of course, for anything you smoke, lung injury can be a long-term thing -- there's clearly a cancer risk associated with it."
And because spice is not manufactured using any single compound or common method, its effects can be unpredictable. Not to mention the effects using any substance can have on your personal life.
"It's like any drug, it becomes addictive which brings financial burdens, which brings problems in the Family," said Command Sgt. Maj. Blair. "It compounds everyday stressors, every day issues; it's a self-induced problem that we can avoid."
Despite these warnings, it remains a problem on Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield. In the past two months, 32 Soldiers on the installation have been referred to the Army Substance Abuse Program because of Spice use or possession, and four of those Soldiers were ordered into inpatient treatment.
In 3rd CAB, they work on a regular basis to stress the harm that Spice and other substances can have on a Soldier's career, personal life and health.
"We talk all the time about Spice, drugs, alcohol -- anything that is not conducive to the Army Values we talk about it," Command Sgt. Maj. Blair said. "We try and make sure everyone is tracking and living up to the Army values."
The bottom line is that, by Army Regulation, Soldiers are prohibited from using or possessing spice in all of its variations.
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