Spice

When people hear spice, they think of cooking spices, and the herbs they can put on food
to make it taste good, but there is another definition for spice popping up, and it is a lot more
dangerous than what can be put on steak. This new spice, as known as black mamba, is an herbal
incense that is dangerous if inhaled or smoked and not used properly. Currently spice is legal in
the United States, but I think it should be made illegal because; is a dangerous chemically
engineered product, was not made for human consumption, it is more dangerous than marijuana,
it can cause physical and mental harm to those who abuse it, can create the same problems as
illegal drugs, can permanently damage the younger generation that uses it, and just because it is
currently legal doesn’t mean it’s safe.
What is Spice? Spice is a combination of different incense herbs and leaves that is then
sprayed with certain chemicals to give it a particular taste and smell. Most of the herbs are
unidentified matter but can include flowers, leaves, aroma extracts, damiana, mint, and rose.
(Singleton) The herbs came mostly from China, and the countries that buy it from China add the
chemicals before exporting it to be sold in a different country (Drug Experts Advise Ban on
Spice, 2009). Spice first arose on the market in the 1990’s but didn’t become popular in the
United States until 2008. (McClain) By this time Spice had been popular in Europe for six years.
People can buy it in smoke shops or online as incense, and it is usually imported from the United
Kingdom. Spice goes by many different names, but the only main difference is the chemical
content. It can be known as black mamba, pep spice, spice, and K2. (Drug Experts Advise Ban
on Spice, 2009) Spice is also expensive; just three grams can go for over thirty dollars, where
one gram runs around the area of fifteen or sixteen dollars. (Naval Criminal Investigative
Services)

The most dangerous thing about Spice is not the herbs contained in it, but the chemicals
that are added to the herbs. (Singleton) Some of these chemicals are similar, and can produce
similar effects, to THC the addictive chemical found in marijuana that causes people to get high.
There are five different chemicals that can be added and usually the makers use a combination of
at least two of the five. What becomes really dangerous is when people decide to make their own
and double the amount of chemicals in the drug, which can cause death if the dose is too strong.
The five chemicals that can be used are; HU-210, JWH-018, CP 47 or CP 497, JWH-073, and
HU-211. (Naval Criminal Investigative Services)
HU-210 is similar to the main active ingredient in marijuana with its structure and
pharmacology. It was created in Israel by scientists at a Hebrew University around 1988. The
reason it was created is unknown. (Naval Criminal Investigative Services) HU-210 is found and
sold in Europe over the internet. This chemical decreases overall activity and produces analgesia,
which is the inability to sense pain, can decrease body temperature, and produces catalepsy or
catatonic schizophrenia. Studies in rats and pigeons found this drug to be sixty-six times more
active than THC in the rats and eighty times more active than THC in the pigeons. There are
currently no recorded studies of the effect of HU-210 on humans, but scientists assume it would
have the same effect as THC based on their studies of rats and pigeons. (Drug Enforcement
Administration, 2009) It is possible that this chemical can be anywhere from six to eight hundred
times more potent than THC. HU-210 also cannot be detected using a gas chromatography or
mass spectrometer. HU-210 is currently a schedule 1 controlled substance under the CSA
(Controlled Substances Act) and is one of the most commonly used chemicals in Spice. (Naval
Criminal Investigative Services)

JWH-018 is the main chemical found in Spice. It was made in 1975 for experimental
purposes at a University in South Carolina. The makers of Spice products usually put JWH-018
in it and then add another one of the chemicals on top of it. JWH-018 is sold in European
countries over the internet and is used by the United Kingdom when they make Spice. JWH-018
is reported to have the same effect on humans as THC that is found in marijuana. It can cause a
decrease in overall activity, produce analgesia, decrease body temperature, and possibly produce
catalepsy. JWH-018 is not currently controlled in the United States. (Drug Enforcement
Administration, 2009) (Naval Criminal Investigative Services)
CP 47, 497 is a synthetic cannaboid or a replica of the chemical THC found in marijuana.
It was developed by pharmaceutical companies for research in the 1980’s as a way to research
the effect of THC. It is also one of the chemicals that can possibly be found in Spice. The effects
of this chemical are very similar to those produced by THC. It is also purported to be anywhere
from three to twenty-eight times more powerful than THC. CP 47, 497 is added to Spice for the
psychoactive effects it can give people if they decide to smoke it. This chemical is not currently
controlled within the United States. (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2009) (Naval Criminal
Investigative Services)
JWH-073 is also a synthetic cannabinoid agonist without the chemical structure of a
regular cannabinoid. JWH-073 can produce a lot of the same effects as THC with the possible
exception of catalepsy which has yet to be tested. This chemical is also not currently controlled
for use in the United States. (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2009) (Naval Criminal
Investigative Services)

HU-211 is possibly the safest chemical that could be used in Spice. It has the same
structure as THC and was made around 1988. Even with the same structure, HU-211 does not
produce THC like effects. It was shown to have absolutely no effect on activity, analgesia, body
temperature or catalepsy. HU-211 is not controlled by the CSA at this time. (Drug Enforcement
Administration, 2009) (Naval Criminal Investigative Services)
The only problem with what we know of these drugs is that the knowledge is very
limited. Most of the studies done on any of these drugs have yet to be done on humans with the
exception of HU-211. The studies are limited to the effects these chemicals have on birds or rats.
Because of this the true damage that the chemicals could be causing are not really known and
makes it harder for us to prepare or educate the public as to their danger. It is also hard to know
if any of these chemicals should be banned because so little is known about their effects, but
what little is known shows that these chemicals are dangerous and could even be possibly lethal
in high doses.
The chemicals in Spice can be introduced to a person’s body in a couple of different
ways. As part of the study for this paper I went into a couple of smoke shops to ask some
questions and see what kind of information I could get on the uses for Spice. The first smoke
shop was One Stop Smoke Shop on 3300 S. and State Street. The guy in there stated that he
couldn’t tell me anything other than that it was used for incense, nor could he give me any other
kind of information. He did however offer to give me a sample that I could play with and figure
out myself. The second smoke shop I went to was a lot more helpful. The girl took me right over
to the area where their Spice was located at and answered every question I asked. She said the
reason certain smells were added were really to add taste to the Spice for those who decided to
smoke it. According to her it was great used as an incense but great to smoke too, for the sake of

getting high. The Spice at this particular smoke shop is imported from the United Kingdom, and
according to the woman who worked there safe because the U.K. regulates the amount of
chemicals they put on their Spice.
From my visits I learned that there are two main uses for Spice. The first is as an incense,
to use either as incense or to inhale and get a high off the smoke. As an incense Spice works
well, it can have a pleasant smell, and there are a variety of different scents available just at the
smoke shop and even more available online. The second, and possibly more common use of
Spice, is for it to be smoked, either rolled up in papers or in a hookah. Smoking Spice is
equivalent to smoking marijuana and cigarettes, and can introduce the chemicals straight into
your blood stream, as well as into your lungs and brain. Even used for the purpose of it’s being
sold as incense can cause people to get high without having to smoke the mixture. (Naval
Criminal Investigative Services) With even this option open, and with the drug being legal, this
opens up a whole new way for people to get high.
Spice is considered to be more dangerous than marijuana. Marijuana is currently illegal in
the United States, and can be smoked, drank, or eaten. The leading drug in marijuana that gives
people the high they are looking for is THC. THC gives marijuana its psychoactive effects and
can relax those who ingest it. (THC Drug Test Kits and THC Information) The chemicals used in
Spice can be even stronger and have more of an effect on the mind and body of the person
ingesting it, and one bag of Spice can also contain multiple chemicals with each one stronger
than just one dose of THC. (Drug Experts Advise Ban on Spice, 2009) Also, Spice and
marijuana look a lot alike making it more difficult to tell the two apart, especially if officers do a
raid and both drugs are located in the house. Spice is more expensive than marijuana, going for
thirty or more dollars for just three grams, which averages around ten dollars or more per gram,

where as marijuana goes for eighty dollars for fourteen grams, which is roughly six dollars a
gram. (Naval Criminal Investigative Services) People are willing to pay more money for Spice
because it is considered to be a legal alternative for marijuana. (Savage, 2010)
Another possible problem with Spice is a problem that happens with all drug users,
especially when taking the addictive kinds of drugs. The problem is that as a person gets used to
the amount they are taking, and have to start taking a stronger amount just to get the high they
used to get off of a smaller amount. In order to achieve this some people will even start mixing
Spice, or whatever drug they are on, with other drugs, like marijuana, prescription pills, meth,
crack, cocaine, or even alcohol. Combining drugs is dangerous and can be deadly if done with
high amounts of each drug that is being taken. When alcohol is added to the picture it helps give
an extra buzz to the high that a person is already experiencing. (Winkler, 2010)
The actual complete effect or damage Spice causes is not very well known. There is a lot
of information accessible to people about the dangers of marijuana, meth and other drugs as well
as for things as simple as cigarettes or alcohol. The lack of information is possibly more
dangerous than having the drug currently legal and easily accessible. The Washington Post
reported in July of this year that the poison control center had received over five hundred cases
from people who got really sick or had a bad reaction to Spice. Last year there were only around
thirteen. (Savage, 2010) Some of the side-effects of Spice include; hallucinations, anxiety
attacks, nausea, addiction, paranoia, loss of coordination, slurred speech, and even
destructiveness. (McClain) If taken in high enough doses, or if a person makes their own, it can
cause blackouts and possibly even death.

Those effects are all that is known about Spice, and those don’t include long term effects.
Those effects are caused from just being used a couple of times, and researchers don’t know
what the long term effects are, or what they could even be. (Singleton) It is assumed that
smoking or inhaling Spice could cause some of the same long term problems as smoking
cigarettes, by damaging the lungs. It is also assumed that the chemicals in Spice could cause long
term brain damage just like smoking marijuana could as well. (Winkler, 2010)
Spice is most popular among the younger crowd. (Savage, 2010) One of the biggest
reasons for its popularity is the fact that it is legal. Some teens may even think that because it is
legal it is a safe alternative to marijuana, but it’s not. (Drug Experts Advise Ban on Spice, 2009)
Even though smoke shops can’t legally sell Spice to somebody under eighteen, that doesn’t stop
teenagers from getting their hands on it. (McClain) Since Spice is legal, it is the perfect
alternative for marijuana since it produces the same effects, and teens can’t get in trouble for it.
But the cost of young people smoking Spice is too much to pay. In Iowa, an eighteen year old
had a panic attack and committed suicide. (Savage, 2010) Some teens in Roswell, Georgia were
hospitalized after smoking some Spice, and one had a severe reaction which resulted in the
swelling of the brain. (McClain) With Spice causing these kinds of effects and problems in teens
that use it, even once, think of the long term damage that could be being caused. Teens are still at
the developing stage, especially with the brain. The brain is still growing and making those
connections that are vital later on in life. With kids smoking Spice, and having easy access to it
because it is legal, this could cause developmental problems, and like with the kid in Georgia,
permanent and irreparable brain damage.
Another effect Spice can possibly have is one that it would share with all other illegal
drugs, and that is, it could ruins people’s lives. Once people get addicted, especially to this kind

of drug, they will go to any lengths in order to obtain that drug, even if it means they will have to
steal or kill someone to get it. (Winkler, 2010) Spice can also ruin families. High parents are not
the world’s best role models, and if children are raised in that kind of environment, they will
probably start becoming users of the drug as well.
Some places within the United States and around the world have started to recognize the
dangers of Spice and have started doing something to prevent its use. Germany ran some tests on
some of the chemicals found in Spice, and since they were all dangerous, made Spice illegal in
Germany. Austria and France did the same thing a short time later. (Drug Experts Advise Ban on
Spice, 2009) Since Spice did not become popular until just recently in the United States, most
states haven’t really had time to react or decide if they should make the drug illegal. Kansas was
the first state to ban Spice in March of this year. Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and
Missouri have all signed bills banning Spice and making it illegal to buy and use, even for
incense. (Savage, 2010) Utah should do the same thing because according to the Utah Highway
Patrol Office, it is starting to become a big problem here as well.
The problem with Spice in Utah is that until a ban is actually made, the officers are
limited to what they are allowed to do when coming across the drug in their line of work. One
officer I talked to worked for the South Jordan Police Department told me about a search warrant
he and his fellow officers executed on a house. Inside they found marijuana and spice. The
officers were legally allowed to seize the marijuana but they had to leave the Spice behind
because right now in Utah, being in possession of Spice is not against the law. It is illegal,
however, to be using Spice to get high, especially if a person is driving under the influence of
Spice. (Winkler, 2010)

Let’s say an officer pulls someone over and they are found to be under the influence of
Spice, the officer can choose to give them a sobriety test. If that person fails the test, they can be
charged with a DUI (driving under the influence), but that is all the officer can do. He can’t
confiscate the drug or charge with drug possession. Also, a passenger is under the influence of
Spice, an officer may be able to charge that person under UCA-76-10-107 which states, “A
person is guilty of abuse of psycho toxic chemicals if:
“for the purpose of causing intoxication, inebriation…. he intentionally:
“inhales the fumes of any psycho toxic chemical solvent.” (Singleton)
Spice does fall under the category of a psycho toxic chemical solvent, especially since it states
right on the package or bottle that it is not made or intended for human consumption and some of
the side effects include hallucinations etc...
Another problem officers face, and one that will be an even bigger problem should Spice
be made illegal, is that it is almost impossible to detect. As stated earlier even using the highest
quality, best machines that forensic science can give there is no way to detect the drug once a
person has ingested it. There is no way to detect it in their blood, hair, urine, or even the smell of
the person. (Naval Criminal Investigative Services) All that an officer could detect would be the
look of someone who is high accompanied by a burnt smell that would be from the burning drug
itself, not from the person. Other than the smell of the drug and the glazed look on the user, there
is no other known way to detect and prove that someone has been or is using Spice. (Singleton)
The Utah Highway Patrol is very aware of the growing problem of Spice, and has been
the leading department in raising awareness of this new drug. When I talked to the South Jordan
Officer, he told me that most of the information his department had on Spice came from the

Highway Patrol office. (Winkler, 2010) Utah Highway Patrol is also trying to raise awareness
within the legislature of the growing problem of Spice in hopes that when the Legislature meets
in January, they will vote to ban Spice in Utah, and add another state to the list of states currently
banning the drug. (Winward, 2010)
I would eventually like to see Spice become illegal all across the country. It is a
dangerous drug that can cause major problems. Spice is highly addictive, easy to get, and can
cause death if not permanent physical and/or mental problems to those who decide to use it, even
once. If we can get this drug off the streets before it has a chance to get too popular, then
hopefully it won’t become as big of a problem as other illegal drugs have. Just because Spice is
legal doesn’t make it a safe way to get high. There is no safe way to get high, and if the public
don’t get educated on the dangers of the chemicals in Spice, and as long as it stays easily
accessible, there are going to be a lot more psychotic break-downs, sicknesses, and deaths
occurring because of this drug. It is my wish that Spice can be banned in Utah, and eventually
the entire United States before it becomes more popular and more people get hooked on it, so we
don’t have to look back on the all the sicknesses and deaths, and we can know that we did
everything to prevent the rise of this drug.

Works Cited
Drug EnforcementAdministration.(2009,July). Drugsand Chemicalsof Concern.Retrieved July26,2010,
fromOffice of DiversionControl:
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugs_concern/spice/spice_hu211.htm
Drug EnforcementAdministration.(2009,July). Drugsand Chemicalsof Concern.RetrievedJuly26,2010,
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugs_concern/spice/spice_jwh073.html
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugs_concern/spice/spice_cp47497.htm
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugs_concern/spice/spice_jwh018.htm
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugs_concern/spice/spice_hu210.htm
Drug Experts AdviseBan on Spice. (2009, August12). RetrievedJuly 20,2010, from UK Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/aug/12/drug-experts-advise-spice-ban
McClain,M. (n.d.). Spice:A DangerousNew Drug. RetrievedJuly26,2010, from Hubpages:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Spice-A-Dangerous-NewDrug
Naval Criminal InvestigativeServices.(n.d.).IntroductiontoSpice.Norfolk,Virginia,UnitedStates:Naval
Criminal Investigative Services.
Savage,M. W. (2010, July10). The growing buzzon 'spice'--themarijuana alternative. RetrievedJuly31,
2010, fromThe WashingtonPost:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2010/07/09/AR2010070903554.html?sid=ST2010071000029
Singleton,T.S. Sugarand Spice,(butnotso nice). SaltLake City:Utah HighwayPatrol.
THC Drug Test Kits and THC Information.(n.d.). RetrievedAugust1,2010, from People HelpingPeople:
http://www.homedrugtestingkit.com/thc.html
Winkler,S.(2010, July20). Crime PreventionOfficer.(R.Newman,Interviewer)
Winward,S.(2010, July26). LieutenantUHP.(R.Newman,Interviewer)

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