We’ve all seen it advertised in big marijuana magazines, whether we call it “spice,” “K2” or “Scooby Snacks,” it’s an assumed cannabis replacement for those who can’t score. Or, more dubiously, for those looking to fatten up their sacks or straight rip people off.
Synthetic cannabis is not cannabis at all, but leafy material sprayed with a variety of psychoactive chemicals that, beyond not being good for you, cause adverse reactions in many imbibers. Normally smoked or vaped, this substance is far more guilty of sending people to the emergency room than what it strives to imitate.
There have been moves made in states like Massachusetts to make spice illegal, but by adjusting their chemical components, companies can continue selling their laced products through that dubious loophole. Ahead of the curve, Mass. voted to make the drug illegal no matter how its compounds changed.
Aside from glossy magazines, some truck stops and convenience stores even carry the false herb, marketing it as incense or potpourri, and sometimes even labeling it as “not for human consumption,” according to The Boston Globe.
When smoking Scooby Snacks, the results can vary wildly from brand to brand and package to package. Sometimes a user may experience relaxation and an inability to concentrate on one thing for long, sometimes they might experience high anxiety, and though more rare, some experience psychosis and have to make the dreaded hospital trip.
The youth who experiment with the drug are the most likely category to end up in the ER. In many cases it’s likely that they thought they were smoking marijuana, and when the high hit absolutely nothing felt right.
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Related Story: Florida Prisons Seeing Rise In Synthetic Marijuana Deaths
Spice and cannabis are only comparable in that they grace the same pages of certain magazines and that one is made to resemble the other. Cannabis is an ancient plant with many, many therapeutic benefits, including the enhancement of one’s day. Spice, on the other hand, is a man-made concoction of chemicals known to have adverse effects.
Even when you’re out of weed, even when it seems that everyone else is out too, toking on some synthetic cannabis is not the answer. Just breathe and maybe meditate to achieve some necessary relaxation. Your next real bowl won’t be far in your future. Just wait.
