Synthetic Drugs
Synthetic drugs are substances that are produced with manmade chemicals rather than formed naturally, which are designed to replicate the effects of other drugs as closely as possible. The word "synthetic" is often mistaken to be synonymous with "natural," but there is nothing natural about these. Synthetic weed or K2, for example, is actually not marijuana at all, but it's simply manmade chemicals sprayed onto dried or shredded plant matter in order to give it a more natural appearance. The effects from synthetic weed drug use are derived entirely from the K2 spray rather than the plant matter. Also referred to as "designer drugs," K2 weed (or synthetic weed) and bath salts are among some of the most common.
These drugs have no accepted uses in healthcare, and are classified as Schedule I under the Drug Enforcement Administration's Controlled Substances Act. They are known to create effects that can be unpredictable, sometimes violent, and even deadly.
Commonly Abused Synthetic Drugs
Synthetic THC is also known as synthetic weed, Spice, K2, or synthetic marijuana. However, it's important to note that marijuana has nothing in common with synthetic THC. The effects of smoking Spice may mimic the effects of smoking marijuana, but this manmade chemical concoction is actually much more potent with significantly more dangerous side effects.
Bath salts are another manmade stimulant with no accepted medical use, and considered to be highly dangerous. Despite its classification as a controlled substance under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, bath salts are sold under names that attempt to conceal the reason for production, such as "plant food" and "glass cleaner." Although bath salts drug use is linked to gruesome attacks and violent behavior, they're still commonly abused today due to their cheap price and availability.