What is spice like

National Institutes of Health. What is Spice? Expand All What happens to your brain when you use Spice? What happens to your body when you use Spice? Can you overdose or die if you use Spice? Is Spice addictive? Withdrawal symptoms can include: headaches anxiety depression irritability. How many teens use Spice? The chart below shows the percentage of teens who say they use Spice. Swipe left or right to scroll. What should I do if someone I know needs help?

As e-cigarettes have become more available, there are reports of some people using e-cig technology for synthetic cannabinoids, and that e-liquids containing synthetic cannabinoids have been produced that can be used with normal e-cigs. Since synthetic cannabinoids act like cannabis , the effects - good and bad - are similar. Some users will feel happy and relaxed, may get the giggles, feel hunger pangs and become very talkative. Others mainly feel ill or paranoid.

Because synthetic cannabinoids react more strongly with the brain's cannabis receptors they're more potent than natural cannabis.

This means it's easier to use too much and experience unpleasant and harmful effects. Synthetic cannabinoids act like THC, the active substance in natural cannabis , but are often more potent, so it's easier to use too much and experience unpleasant and harmful effects. Feelings of being happy, euphoric and relaxed, with some people gettings the giggles, feeling hunger pangs and becoming very talkative, while others get more drowsy.

Mood and perception can change, and concentration and coordination may become difficult. Synthetic cannabinoids, possibly because of their potency, are more likely to be associated with hallucinations than natural cannabis. The risks of synthetic cannabinoids are similar to natural cannabis , but because synthetic cannabinoids are more potent, it is easy to use too much and experience the unpleasant and harmful effects.

This higher potency also means that the effects may last for longer. We know that there have been a number of deaths that have been associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoids, either on their own or with other substances. There may also be risks from smoking the plant material itself — as occurs with tobacco and cannabis smoking.

Research suggests that they may be an association between using synthetic cannabinoids and acute kidney injury. Many synthetic cannabinoids have a chemical structure that is similar to serotonin, a natural chemical found in the body. I have never felt the urge to call before, but I seriously considered it multiple times last night," the writer says. The accounts on the Erowid forum span a range from those like the ones above to more positive experiences that resemble the effects of smoking marijuana.

A year old male says he experienced a high very similar to if he had smoked "h igh-quality marijuana," after he smoked a very small dose of K2. The writer recommended K2 for "enhancing creativity and an energy boost at night time.

As the Erowid Center notes, the varied effects are likely because every batch of synthetic marijuana is synthesized differently with various and often dangerous research chemicals that can produce unpredictable effects. The drugs flow through the market so quickly that researchers don't have the time to understand their effects and lawmakers don't have time to enact legislation before a new, altered batch reaches the market.

Most of the chemicals used in synthetic marijuana come from China and are then shipped to the United States and mixed with acetone and sprayed onto plant material before being sold at convenience stores and gas stations, often as "incense" or "potpourri," according to Drug Enforcement Agency Senior Forensic Chemist Jill Head.

In the same period, 15 spice-linked deaths were reported, a three-fold increase over the 5 deaths reported in For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Synthetic Marijuana, also called Spice, K2, or Synthetic Cannabinoids, is a chemically modified herbal substance that produces mind-altering effects similar to or more potent than Marijuana.

Spice is most commonly smoked, though it may be prepared in drinks or edibles. Because of its various harms, responding to Synthetic Marijuana addiction with the proper treatment is crucial.

According to the DEA, most of the chemicals used in Synthetic Marijuana are manufactured in Asia with no regulations or standards. They are then smuggled to the US, where they are sprinkled on plant material and packaged.

Some of these chemicals are legal, though there have been more and more illegal compounds found in Synthetic Marijuana. Also, the FDA noted that over 75 other compounds have been identified that are not currently controlled. These chemicals range greatly in safety and are not all recommended for consumption. Learn More. Sold in gas stations, head shops, and online, this drug is often considered a safe and legal alternative to Marijuana despite significant evidence to the contrary.

The packaging, names, and ingredients of Synthetic Marijuana are inconsistent and vary based on the seller. Because of this, the drug is a moving target for both health officials and police officers hoping to cut down on its negative effects. Spice and K2 are the most common names for the drug. Because Synthetic Marijuana is not officially intended to be smoked or ingested, using it in any form is considered abuse. The effects of Synthetic Marijuana are similar to those of Marijuana.

They include an altered perception of reality and feelings of relaxation and elevated mood. These chemicals have not been approved for human consumption, and there is no way to know what adverse reactions a user may have. Minor side effects of Synthetic Marijuana are similar to those of real Marijuana. However, there have been many accounts of severe side effects from Synthetic Marijuana — up to and including death.

Additionally, if Synthetic Marijuana is combined with real Marijuana, the 2 substances may interfere with each other and cause an unpleasant and potentially dangerous experience for the user. Make a Call Continued abuse of Synthetic Marijuana can lead to a psychological and physical addiction to it.