Psychoactive drug or mystical incense? Overview of the online available information on Spice products
International Journal of Culture and Mental Health December 1, 2009 Fabrizio Schifano, Ornella Corazza, Paolo Deluca et al. 79 citations
An 8-language qualitative assessment of about 200 web pages found that Spice, an herbal smoking blend sold as a legal cannabis substitute, is popular online because of its legal status, undetectability in drug tests, easy online access, and cannabis-like effects. Users discussed unusual drug combinations not found in medical literature. Product descriptions rarely mentioned the synthetic THC receptor agonists responsible for the psychoactive effects. The web serves as a resource for both information on and purchase of Spice products, which health professionals should be aware of.