“Spice,” a synthetic form of marijuana legally sold in local head shops and corner stores, has shouldered its way into the mainstream over the past two years. And like most everything else fun and popular, it has landed on the government’s hit list. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency announced a partial ban on spice last week. Why partial? Because nothing in the knotty world of fake weed is ever quite as it seems.
Often referred to by the common brand name K2, spice mimics the effects of good-old dirt-grown marijuana. It reportedly packs a punch, but does not show up on drug tests — making it a hit with nervous office workers and cons on probation.
“It just takes one hit and it’s pretty amazing,” says one noted expert.
