​The five chemicals used to make fake pot weakly mimic THC, an active ingredient in marijuana, and are not approved for human consumption. They have been sold as “incense” to bypass rules surrounding products meant to be consumed.

While synthetic marijuana does produce a high, it is short-acting, typically around 30 minutes, and does not produce the munchies as does marijuana. It will also, unlike real pot, give you a splitting headache if you mix it with alcohol.

According to the DEA, products like Spice, K2, Blaze, and Red X Dawn are labeled as incense to mask their intended purpose.

The DEA-proposed ban will put the chemicals in Schedule I, the same category as heroin and marijuana, more restrictive than cocaine, which is Schedule II. It will take effect in 30 days and last at least a year, in all likelihood remaining permanent.

Schedule I drugs are federally defined as substances which have a high potential for addiction and no accepted medical uses.

The herbal “incense” blends are currently available in smoke shops, convenience stores and on the Internet.

“Makers of these harmful products mislead their customers into thinking that ‘fake pot’ is a harmless alternative to illegal drugs, but that is not the case,” said Michele Leonhart, acting DEA administrator, reports Justin Blum at Bloomberg . “Today’s action will call further attention to the risks of ingesting unknown compounds and will hopefully take away any incentive to try these products.”

The DEA published a notice in today’s Federal Register saying that it intends to ban the chemicals. After 30 days, the DEA plans to post a rule to “temporarily control” the chemicals for at least 12 months, according to the statement.

During that time, the Department of Health and Human Services said it “plans to study” whether the chemicals should be permanently banned. Don’t hold your breath, because so far, they’ve never changed about banning a substance once it goes on the “bad list.”

Riverfront Times. At least 15 states have acted to ban one or more of the five chemicals targeted by the DEA, which have names like JWH-018 (the most common) and JWH-200. The other targeted chemicals are JWH-073, CP-47,497 and cannabicyclohexanol, reports Keegan Hamilton at

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) this month sent a letter to Leonhart asking for synthetic marijuana to be banned, saying use of the substances was reaching “epidemic proportions” in his state.

The DEA claims that use of fake pot has prompted visits to emergency rooms and more than 1,500 calls to poison control centers.