Some old hippies are probably rolling over in their graves right now at the mere mention of synthetic marijuana.  Does this new generation have no shame?  Fake Pot! How unnatural can you get?  Synthetic cannabis is the newest “loophole” to get around getting busted for smoking marijuana but many states are now passing laws that make selling and possessing this “New Pot” illegal and offenders could face stiff penalties if convicted.

Synthetic cannabis is a mixture of herbs and chemicals that mimic the psychoactive effects that real marijuana has on the users.  Synthetic cannabis is known as K2, Spice, Mr. Nice Guy, Serenity Now, Puff and Kronic.  The “fake pot” gives the users the high that they seek by the synthetic cannabinoids that have similar effects on the body that THC does with real marijuana.  The synthetic cannabinoids that are most often used in the production of synthetic cannabis are cannabicyclohexanol, JWH-018, JWH-073, and HU-210.  The use of these artificial cannabinoids makes this synthetic cannabis a designer drug.

Smoke shops, gas stations, convenience stores and online stores often sell this fake pot as an incense or herbal smoking blend.   The synthetic cannabis does not produce positive results in a drug test but its metabolites can be detected in a urinalysis.  The real danger in the use of synthetic cannabis is how it is produced.  Much like bathtub gin or moonshine there is no set formula for production and no two batches are the same.  The herbs are treated with the synthetic cannibinoids mostly by being sprayed or soaked in the compound but there is no uniformity to the application.  Some of the herbs may be coated with a little of the synthetic cannibinoids while others may receive a more generous application.  So there is no telling the potency of the synthetic marijuana from hit to hit.

(To Be Continued)