Are K2 and Spice the same as marijuana?

Drugs like K2 and Spice are sometimes called “synthetic marijuana” or “fake weed,” but experts say these are misleading terms. Marijuana is a plant that’s grown for both medical and recreational use. Synthetic cannabinoids are plant material that’s been sprayed with an active drug.

The drugs in products like K2 and Spice aren’t chemically related to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Both types of drugs bind to the same cannabinoid receptors in the brain, but K2 or Spice drugs bind to these receptors much more strongly and produce more intense effects. Synthetic cannabinoids can be up to 100 times more potent than THC.

What’s in K2/Spice products?

What are synthetic cannabinoids?

Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so they can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices. These products are also known as herbal or liquid incense.

These chemicals are called cannabinoids because they are similar to chemicals found in the marijuana plant. Because of this similarity, synthetic cannabinoids are sometimes misleadingly called synthetic marijuana (or fake weed), and they are often marketed as safe, legal alternatives to that drug. In fact, they are not safe and may affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana; their actual effects can be unpredictable and, in some cases, more dangerous or even life-threatening.