Blend of herbs and synthetic cannabinoid

Unless you've been hiding under a rock somewhere, you've no doubt heard of K2. It's a blend of herbs and sold as incense. It also contains a type of synthetic cannabinoid which mimics the effects of marijuana. but doesn't contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical in marijuana. K2 contains synthetic chemicals, known as JWH-018 and JWH-073, that mimic THC by acting on the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Some people smoke it, others want to outlaw it.


This K2 compound was first created in the mid-1990s in the lab of organic chemist John W. Huffman of Clemson University, who studies cannabinoid receptors. He’s not sure how the recipe for what is named JWH-018 (his initials) got picked up, but he did publish details on a series of compounds including JWH-018 in a book chapter. Even before that book came out, he recalls learning that in China and Korea people were selling the compound as a plant growth stimulant. Although the company manufacturing K2 is unknown, it is legally available for purchase in the U.S. by anyone.