A new drug being called "Shammon" or "K–3" is gaining a lot of attention across the state, especially here in Southern Minnesota.
The company "Kryptonite" advertises it's product as an incense.
It even states clearly on the packaging that it is "not for human consumption."
However many young people are using it as a more accessible way to get high.
Alcohol and drug abuse counselor, Michael McGinnis says, "It's often being referred to as legal marijuana or synthetic marijuana. Because it does have some synthetic forms of cannabanoid in it, and some other things. But the highs are entirely different."
K–2 was outlawed last year by the drug enforcement agency, but the DEA has difficulty keeping up with variations of the drug that companies like Kryptonite are quickly coming out with.
McGinnis says, "There would be tweaks being applied. You change the compound a little bit, you add or subtract something. And it no longer fits that same definition, so it became a foot race of what would be an illegal substance, what would be a banned substance."
For this report we were able to purchase 2 one–gram packages of Kryptonite for $21.
Even though the incense is readily available and legal to purchase for anyone 18 years and older, medical professionals want to be clear...it's not safe to consume.
Dr. Joachim Schugel at Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato says, "It's a change in the chemical makeup of K2. So it has the same bad outcome; convulsions, seizures, anxiety attacks. Those type of things. It's not much different really. It's just as bad as what you're going to see from K2."
Because K–3 is made up of a different chemical compound than other drugs, it is not easy to detect on drug tests.
But there are some signs to watch for.
Dr. Schugel says, "There's not a lot that just jumps out at you. If you're kid is acting odd and very sad and depressed, that could be one thing. But the other is the anxiety. They're more anxious, they don't do as well in school. Those type of things. Those little things that they really have to pay attention to, that we as health care providers might not notice."
