Alt Cannabinoid Safety FAQ

Is this stuff like spice?

No, “spice” “K2” and other synthetic cannabinoids have no relation to the cannabis plant at all. I was under the impression, as are a lot of people, that the reason the syth noids were more dangerous was because they were full agonists, however that is not true.

(Thanks to HighAsDuck for the following explanation)

Structurally unrelated noids like indoles have nothing in common with classical cannabinoid benzopyrans like THC besides the receptor they hit.

Their structural difference is likely the reason for problems because every indole noid has problems no matter how weak or what substitution while classical canna inside benzopyrans don't seem to cause issues despite heavy modifications.

These new “Alt cannabinoids” as we have dubbed them, are all directly related to traditional THC, and interact with your cannabinoid system accordingly. The majority of them are also phytocannabinoids, meaning they occur naturally in the cannabis plant. Examples of exceptions to this rule are the Acetylated noids (ending with -o).

So does that mean it’s safe?

Yes, no, and maybe. I will say with certainty that cannabinoids that are based on traditional THC/CBD have proven to be VASTLY safer than the traditional synthetic cannabinoids like “K2”. From a very, very anecdotal standpoint, I have consumed 100+ of grams of Alt Cannabinoids over the course of the last 3 years, and my side effects are not noticeable. Compared to smoking just D9, these last 3 years have been far more clear headed and nice. Once again, take this with an enormous grain of salt as I could develop issues later in life, and also, I’m just one person, I could just be getting lucky.

These new noids aren’t exactly “new”, they were mostly all discovered far before the year 2000, but they have only recently hit the market, and outside of the lab, this is the first time they are being consumed, especially at large scale.

What I’m saying here, is that by participating in this community/movement/whatever you want to call it, you are actively engaging in taking drugs that exist in an unregulated and unstudied market. When looking at the available science, it seems to me everything will be okay - but we have thought that a lot of times in the past (for example we put tetraethyllead in gas before we knew better), so please know you are in uncharted waters.

Does a brand need a COA/Lab Reporting for all their products?

Ideally, yes. Sometimes you will see brands with new products that they put out pre COA, but I would not recommend you buy any product without a COA.

This COA has only noid info, and no pesticide or heavy metals testing, is it safe?

No. You want noid content, pesticide content and heavy metals testing.

What are my favorite vendors/brands?

Check out the vendor tier list here.

My smoke shop sells some of this stuff! Can I buy it there?

No. Unless you have a personal relationship with the shop owner and know exactly where they are getting their product from, stick to online. The potential for counterfeits and health issue causing products is very high in places like these.