Skip Navigation

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Better known as K2 or Spice, these chemicals can produce effects that are unpredictable, dangerous, or even life-threatening.

Go to next section

What are synthetic cannabinoids?

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

Because they are easy to obtain and many of the chemicals in them cannot be detected by standard drug tests, these products are often used by young people. Many users believe these products are natural and therefore harmless—but this is not the truth.