From wikipedia: "
Synthetic cannabis is a herbal and chemical product which mimics the effects of
cannabis. It is best known by the brand names
K2[1] and
Spice[2]. When synthetic cannabis products first went on sale it was thought that they achieved an effect through a mixture of legal herbs. Laboratory analysis in 2008 showed this was not the case and that they in fact contained synthetic
cannabinoids which act on the body in a similar way to cannabinoids naturally found in cannabis, such as
THC. Synthetic cannabinoids, including
cannabicyclohexanol,
JWH-018,
JWH-073, and
HU-210, are used in an attempt to avoid the laws which make cannabis illegal, making synthetic cannabis a
designer drug. It has been sold under various brand names, online, in
head shops and at some gas stations. It is marketed as an
incense or "herbal smoking blend", but the products are usually smoked by users. Although synthetic cannabis does not produce positive results in
drug tests for cannabis, it is possible to detect its metabolites in human urine. The synthetic cannabinoids contained in synthetic cannabis products have been made illegal in many European countries, but remain legal under federal law in the USA and Canada. Several US states have made it illegal under state law."
