You may have heard of the newest drug phenomenon, known variously as “spice” or K2. Sometimes called “Genie,” this drug has similar effects as marijuana, but unlike marijuana, it is (in most states) legal.
Spice works like marijuana. A chemical in the spice mimics the activity THC has in the brain. This results in a marijuana like high, with the same symptoms. The potency of the drug varies across brand.
Some states have banned the drug, including Iowa. Kansas and Missouri are trying to categorize spice with marijuana in terms of legality and involved fines (see this CBS news report for more).
What do you need to know? Well, if you are concerned that someone is using spice, you cannot at the moment buy a home drug test for it. There’s no doubt new technologies will develop in the next few years to test for it, but at the moment no hair, saliva, or urine home drug test can detect it.
However, the Redwood Toxicology lab did just recently come out with a urine-based lab test for it. While not as convenient as a home test, it is the only current method of detecting spice use. To learn more call 1-800-255-2159 or visit their website (Redwood Toxicology) to learn more about how it works. We’ll be sure to keep you in the loop as far as how soon the test will be available on the instant drug test market, and if you have any questions, let us know!
Picture by Schorle via Wikipedia.
i smoked spice for the past 2 days. It was also the first 2 times i have ever smoked it. I am a senior in high school and i have been smoking weed for over 3 years now. I know my limits, i know when im high. But when i smoked this sonic boom stuff, i was completely high. I was trippin balls for over an hour. Its insane but fun. I got to the point where my vision kept zooming in and out. I know for a fact this was spice a.k.a sonic boom. i bought it. But i do not recommend this drug if you are a first time smoker or you dont like weed. this stuff gives you an intense head high, thus starting to trip and having hallucinations. This is very similair to the marijuana high but just a bit stronger. The only bad thing about this is that it is very bad for you because it is an insense. people who say they have been hospitalized for this is because their all dumbasses and smoked way to much. the first time i tried it i thought i had to go to the hospital. let alone i was by myself so i didnt have anyone to calm me down. Your heart beats like a motherfucker. i felt my hearbeat in my stomach. This is a substitute for weed. i can get pulled over and a cop can look at it even test it while i sit back laughing because its not illegal for me to have. the cop will get so mad because he wasted his time searching your car for weed. I was arrested back in may for smoking a joint, yes, ill admit it dumb idea to walk around smoking, yes dumb idea to not eat it. now im on probation for 6 months and i smoke spice now. it gives you a decent high. but if your not with someone you WILL bug out and convince yourself that your dying. I have no clue what people are saying when they say there is a drug test for spice, its bullshit. so if you wanna get high just sit back and toke it up however you want, dutch(blunt), joint bowl or bong
Look, Spice is nowhere near as dangerous as some people say it is. Sure its in no way good for you and it would kill you from the carcinogens eventually but that’s about it. I don’t smoke it on a regular basis but i do every once in a while. I have literally taken a drug test the day after smoking it and passed no problem. BTW that was in April 2011. Any tests they have out for it are not your average take home drug test’s or something they would use in a rehab clinic. (Not saying you should be doing it if you need rehab) The tests that do exist are testing for JWH-018 and JWH-073 both of which are not used in anything that’s legally sold now. If your responsible and just smoke a little every now and again you’re not going to die and your defiantly not going to get addicted.
To reply to some of the comments: Yes there is testing for spice, but it is a separate process than normal drug tests in urine and takes 3 – 5 days to get results. I live in AZ and just had my son tested for spice at Tasc (This IS the place where people in the court system get tested, although I don’t know if the courts use the test – as it is a lot more expensive and time-consuming.) My son said he had not smoked any for about 5 days, but he still came up positive. The test says his urine was highly diluted (lots of water). He had 1 pg/ml and the cutoff level is 100pg/ml. I am trying to interpret this. What does the cutoff being higher mean? The test does say positive. Anyone with test result interpretation?
Well… For those of you out there that think “spice or K-2″ is not dangerous or addictive you are very wrong. It is. We just had a very promising young man SHOOT and KILL HIMSELF in our town, he was high on this drug. He had no behavior prior that would suggest he was suicidal, he was a very happy soul, he raced cars and was in college…so I decided to read up on it. When the drug was fist introduced it was sprayed on potpourri and you were to sit around smelling it and it would produce a mild “pot” like sensation. It was NEVER designed to smoke it. It is 10 times or more stronger than pot, it makes your heart race and alters your mood/emotions and there have been a lot of deaths from it. It must have a depressive quality to it, kids kill them selves after being on it..and not from overdose. People think because it is legal, it must be fine. How WRONG they are…It needs to be taken off the store shelves and made illegal! R.I.P. Jake…you will be missed!!!
There is a test for spice. I work at a boarding school and we just sent specimens to the lab. 4 students tested positive. It is illegal in Arizona
Well, In the Army the cutoff for THC is 50ng/ml, therefore if you test below the cutoff of 50ng then the results are negative. Your son tested positive even though his results were that far below the Cutoff? WTF
Something in the pot ain’t clean.
@MomAndTeacher…..with drug testing there are “cutoffs” like you said but any time the urine comes back very diluted which is the creatinine levels from the kidneys it sends up a red flag that the individual probably took sonething to “cleanse” their system. Which essentially makes it a positive test.
Hope this helps .