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to know about drugs (and some stuff you don't).
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What are synthetic cannabinoids?
Synthetic cannabinoids are chemicals that mimic the effects of the main active compound in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These synthetic cannabinoids are usually sold in 'herbal' smoking mixtures, normally sprayed on to the plant material. To date, the plant material has just been used to carry the synthetic drugs and does not normally contain any tobacco or cannabis plant. Sometimes the smoking mixture may not contain any synthetic cannabinoids.
There are a large number of potential cannabinoids that can be synthesised, with JWH being the most common chemical family, and JWH-018 the most commonly known compound to date. A large number of products containing synthetic cannabinoids are Class B drugs, illegal to have, give away or sell.
Synthetic cannabinoids mimic the effects of THC and so the effects - good and bad - are likely to be very similar to cannabis. Some will feel happy and relaxed, may get the giggles, feel hunger pangs and become very talkative. Others may feel ill or paranoid.
In their pure form, synthetic cannabinoids are either solids or oils. They are then added to dried herbs, vegetable matter or plant cuttings to make a smoking mixture (so that it looks more like real herbal cannabis).
The smoking mixtures are packaged very professionally in small, often colourful sachets with labels describing the contents as incense or herbal smoking mixture and almost always stating: 'Not for human consumption'. There are many different names given to herbal smoking mixtures, some of the most common are listed in the aka section at the top of the page.
Some synthetic cannabinoids are sold as incense or room odorisers. A sachet of smoking mixture, usually about 3g, can cost between £20 and £30.
How do people take synthetic cannabinoids?
Synthetic cannabinoids are used in a similar way to cannabis:
What are the effects of synthetic cannabinoids?
Synthetic cannabinoids will mimic the effects of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. They may be stronger than typical cannabis and because these substances are so new, they may have completely unknown effects. Typical cannabis effects include:
What are the risks of synthetic cannabinoids?
Because of the way the chemicals work, it is very likely that synthetic cannabinoids will produce harmful effects similar to those associated with THC – the active ingredient of cannabis. But many are brand new and may have other completely unknown effects too. There may also be risks from smoking the plant material itself – as occurs with tobacco and cannabis smoking.
What are synthetic cannabinoids cut with?
Any dried herbs, vegetable matter or plant cuttings can be used to make smoking mixtures. A number of different plants are often listed on the packaging of smoking mixtures, but it appears that many are not present and that the packaging cannot be trusted. The chemical composition of synthetic cannabinoids and the ingredients of smoking mixtures are changing all the time, so you can never be sure what you're getting, how powerful it is and how it could affect you.
There have been very few studies carried out on the level of synthetic cannabinoids present in smoking mixtures. Because of the difficulties in making a smoking mixture it is likely that there will be differences in the concentration of synthetic cannabinoids between different batches. Some don’t contain any synthetic cannabinoids at all.
Can you get addicted to synthetic cannabinoids?
As with cannabis, it is very likely that dependence is a real risk for users. Dependence on synthetic cannabinoids will be influenced by a number of factors, including how long you've been using it, how much you use and whether you are just more prone to become dependent.
You may find you have difficulty stopping regular use and you may experience psychological and physical withdrawals when you do stop. The withdrawals can include cravings for synthetic cannabinoids, irritability, mood changes, loss of appetite, weight loss, difficulty sleeping and even sweating, shaking and diarrhea.
If you've only been using for a short while there should be no problem stopping but with continued regular use of synthetic cannabinoids it may become more difficult.
Synthetic cannabinoids and the law
What if you’re caught?
Did you know?
If after 3 drags of a spliff you don't fancy delirium, stupor, hallucinations, dehydration and vomiting then this is not a 'legal' drug you want to take.
This depends on which drug you are talking about and what method is being used to test for the drug. The list below shows the drug detection times (using a urine test) for the most common drugs:
By mixing drugs you increase the chances of having a bad time. The effects of the drugs might be greatly increased, the drugs might interact in an unexpected way or one drug may stop part of your body working properly which makes the other drug(s) that have been taken more dangerous.
All drugs are potentially dangerous and have varying effects on individuals, so it is not possible to name the worst drug. For more information on the effects and risks of various drugs go to the A-Z of drugs.
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