Smoking spice has been a growing health concern and was made as an officially banned drug as of 1st March 2011, where the U.S. has now stopped selling these in stores after strict ban rules were passed by the DEA. Some European countries banned the selling and buying of these drugs way before the U.S. brought this law into effect. It is gaining momentum when it comes to its popularity among teens and young adults, who are taking up this so-called 'herbal incense' and smoking it like it were marijuana. What is Spice? It is a replica of weed, although not quite, being a synthetic cannabinoid by nature. This means that the drug in question, called 'Spice' has been nationally and globally distributed as an incense but funnily people have been buying these as a way of getting stoned, especially with it being a legal drug before the ban was passed. It is also sold online for those who don't have access to this fake marijuana twin that's been making waves among users. Little do they know that when they smoke this stuff up, it could be their last drag. There's a lot of controversial debate going around about this drug, where it has been noted to be much more expensive than street-sold marijuana! One gram of Spice will cost you about $25, where marijuana is way cheaper than this. The main synthetic cannabinoid element present in Spice is called JWH-018, and can induce a high that is very similar to that of marijuana. What are the Dangers of Smoking Spice? Catnip was also a problem as of late where people use this plant by not ingesting it for its herbal remedies, but habituating the system to 'smoking' it like real weed. What is this world coming to with experimentations that don't even guarantee that you will see the light of day again? When it comes to drugs, you can never be too certain or exercise enough caution when trying it out. Facebook came up with a news update once that got parents paranoid and young kids fascinated. It stated that five deaths and 11 overdose victims were put up at a local hospital, where news channels later confirmed this by being a true case of smoking Spice. It now comes in cigarette form, not making it any better for smokers out there. There was a noted episode in Roswell where teens were hospitalized upon using Spice, where one had a severe case of brain swelling after smoking the synthetic drug. It falls under many disguised names like Black Mamba, Dragon, Pep Spice, Bombay Blue and Ocean Breeze. Other known effects that Spice can invoke upon a person are, hallucinations, agitation, panic attacks, dilated pupils and vomiting. In the month of January 2012, actress Demi Moore had been reportedly suffering from seizure-like symptoms that were induced by the drug 'Spice'. The caller had told the police that it had something to do with her smoking an 'incense' and wasn't anything like weed. Incense of course is closely related to Spice, where the convulsions and rise in body temperature were classic signs of the drug's effect. She later composed herself and got over the symptoms after a while. A lot of youngsters (mostly teens) try out this synthetic drug, where people from various social strata are found experimenting with this whether they know of its effects or not. What's It Like to Smoke Spice? Spice is said to contain a stale flavor bordering on something you'd smell (in this case taste) fresh out of the crap bin. It doesn't work well for those who team this up with drinking alcohol, since hangovers will be intensified the following morning with excruciating headaches at the base of one's skull, lasting for hours at a time. For those who know what it's like to feel extremely hungry after smoking up a bag o' weed, will understand what it means to have those pangs right after a session. In the case of Spice though, the chemical compound in it, that is JWH-018, has an effect on the body that makes one steer clear away from feelings of hunger, with no signs whatsoever of food cravings. This has been noted for most smokers, while others seem to get hungry and dunk down food. The most active ingredient present in Spice that is very similar to that of cannabis (marijuana), is 1,1-dimethyloctyl homologue of the substance CP 47,497. Another ingredient that's been found to be an active ingredient in Spice is HU-210. After tests were done, the DEA woke up and sniffed the air out for the first time once it became clear that this legal drug had been making its way through the masses as the most sought after drug in the market. Once it had been deemed as dangerous and highly risky for people to smoke, more so than marijuana ever did in the history of its existence, countries globally were on alert and slowly started banning Spice, making it official now. The dangers of smoking spice cannot be taken lightly, since even if this is banned from stores, many people are still putting it up for sale online. Be sure to stop those who still manage to score Spice, and report it to the authorities to help save them from the dire health consequences.