The use of synthetic marijuana is not officially illegal since it is marketed as a potpourri or incense, and used to be sold in bars and at gas stations. Today, more than forty states have banned the chemicals that frequently found in synthetic marijuana which had limited access to the substance to some degree, however, certain smoke shops still keep their good customers happy and keep a small supply “under the counter.” Online sellers also have kept the consumers happy, since a package can be shipped anywhere, especially if nothing illegal is being sold. Most packages warn that the contents are not intended for human consumption in any way.

The main reason why synthetic marijuana cannot be banned and branded as “illegal” is because its constituents vary from batch to batch. In addition to regular THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), there can be found such elements as Cannabicyclohexanol, HU-210, JWH-018, JWH-073, AM-2201, etc. The potency of some chemicals exceeds the potency of THC by five or a hundred times, making the substance far more powerful than the original THC. No two batches are alike, therefore, it is practically impossible to know what exactly is inside without testing it. Logically, there cannot be any tests for a synthetic drug that varies in its constituents so dramatically.

However, due to the adverse effects that synthetic marijuana produces the Drug Enforcement Administration put an emergency ban on five chemicals commonly found in the drug. Recently it has been announced that now there is a test that will check for such a substance. Even thought is may be a legal substance, however, the use of it is still frowned upon and now that it can be detected, consideration of a detox product may be a good idea.