I just recently tried 2 different brands of "herbal incense". I'm in Canada and I'm not sure what's actually legal and what's not. I've searched on gov't Canada websites etc... and I can't really get a solid answer. SO who knows what is sprayed on the herb material they use.
The head shop that sells it here (well the one I went too anyway - there are a few sketchy convince stores that sell smoke blends too - but really sketchy feel in those places - I wouldn't buy from them) any how the one I bought from is a reputable chain with a few stores across western Canada. They claims that they only sell brands from companies that will actually let them see the facility where it's produced. They say they do this because this way they don't end up with brands that are made up in random basements. (probably the ones sold at the sketchy dark corner stores). These are done by guys in lab coats. I did kinda find it funny that they said this to me. I do believe them - but I don't think just cause someone has a lab coat it makes anything (a RC) safer!! lol. The only thing I like about it though is at least it's produced in a sanitary environment so you aren't getting the basements guys pocket lint and lawn clippings mixed in, lol.
Now all this is coming from a fairly ex (thanks you piss tests - a.k.a. why the "herbal incense was tried) heavy pot smoker - I'd say a few joints a day. Sometimes weed would cause a bit of anxiety. But it wasn't bothersome or often enough for me to really care enough to not smoke - or to cut back - I'd just smoke a smaller amount in a session.
Anyway - I picked up 2 diff brands at the head shop here of the synth blend (obviously I can't name the brands but for the sake of making this not confusing - we will call them "Brand A" and "Brand B").
"Brand A" clearly wrote on their packaging 'herbal incense - not for human consumption"
"Brand B" didn't say really at all what was, at the top it said 'Special Edition" and then the brand name of it, it did NOT say not for human consumption.
Brand A was green, and was consistent in whatever herb it was. Brand B was more mainly yellowish with a few diff herbs that were diff colors - there was some pink, green, mostly yellowish though.
Both A and B smelled pretty much the same and I found they both tasted about the same. Because of this I think that the "spicy" smell taste is maybe from the sprayed on chemicals not the actual dried herbs. I didn't mind the taste of either and didn't find the smoke harsh.
Now I have read a lot of posts and blogs and even seen YouTube videos of people saying how BAD it is and how they either freaked out, blacked out, puked, suffer psychosis, OD etc.... and I DO believe their stories, but I gotta say now that I have actually tried this out - those people simply must have been idiots or something.
When I FIRST tried the brand A (that was the 1st time ever), I literary took a TINY hit off my pipe, and put the pipe down and waited a good 30 min before taking another TINY hit - and I am meaning small hits, not a lung full or any of that crap and I didn't even hold it in very long. I figured that it's always better to have too little and feel nothing than to much - you can always add more but you can't undo too much. After the first tiny hit I could feel it, just a bit, kinda behind my eyes and through my head this was the same with my 2nd hit. I was surprised at how potent it was considering the very small hits I took.
After a couple hours I tried out Brand B and did the SAME process of brand A, very small dose and wait and see. It was just as good - the highs were very similar. A feeling more heavy, stoned, sit on the couch and do nothing high - where B was more of a light alert high - kinda like the difference between sativa and indica pot strains.
The next day I tried smoking a bit of a bigger dose. 2 hits on the pipe average size, and both brands made me feel quite comfortably baked. I then realized 2 hits your good and 3 your blasted (this is based on my pipes bowl size though of course - I would NEVER apply this to a big bong, or lung hoot)
I found that it very much feels like the same high you would get from pot, a bit different- but not in a bad way (for me personally). Of course it's not going to be the same because it is NOT the same drug.
Now here is where I think the people that "freak out, OD - whatever" go wrong - they smoke a big fat joint of it, or take a few massive hauls off a bong, or smoke as much of it as they would if it was weed.
This is potent shit and it is very important to dose SMALL wait and see and add more if needed. I have smoked it a couple days now and I think I actually might like it more than weed, lol. I find that there is no burn out. Pot is great, but I always noticed that coming down you'd feel burned out and tired, but with both brand A and B after the high was done - I was normal. No burn out or tired feeling. But with it being an RC and it's safety being unknown. I am not planning on smoking it every day like I did pot.
BUT I like everyone else (probably at least once) over did it tonight - I went to a friends and brought over some brand A and asked if he wanted to try it out. I didn't have my pipe (it has a smaller bowl - I chose it just for that reason), so we used his pipe instead. I packed a bowl, and we smoked it. This pipes bowl was a bigger than mine I realized (I never even though of the bowl size till after the fact) and I smoked (I think) 4 hits on the pipe - and he smoked the same (he has NEVER smoked any of the RC cannaboids before). We were standing in his kitchen and I couldn't BELIEVE how stoned I was! He was quite impressed how high he had become - he always kinda thought that it (the synth blends at the head shop) were all bunk and probably didn't really do shit. He was surprised to say the least. He is a heavy pot smoker and is a very calm person so I wasn't to worried about him handling this brand A we had just smoked, but realizing that his pipe was bigger and he smoked as much as me and I had never even smoked that much, I was a little worried that he'd be "uncomfortablely high".
I had to go sit down cause I felt like I was vibrating I was so high. I immediately worried about starting to panic because I was very high and the high was getting higher (at this point it was an uncomfortable high) but I continuously made conscious efforts to push those thoughts out of my head I knew that it was just harmless panic setting in it and that I was fine it was now a matter of mind over matter, so I played Xbox (a racing game) and every time I crashed the car in the game I would laugh, and smile, the game was surprisingly hard but funny and this was a game I am normally good at. It really helped me stay grounded and not freak out. If I had smoked much more - YES I would have freaked out. I will never smoke more than that cause the next step higher would NOT have been good - so I can see how people can easily over do it.
My friend was fine - after his shower I asked if he was feeling alright and he said he was quite high, feeling good, definatly satisfied with the results. We both looked liked we had just smoked the fattest joint in the world, lol. at this point my high had tamed down and was now at a (still very high) but comfortable level.
Later I left and went home and never did feel burned out, even smoking that much and getting that high - the comedown was still nonexsistant.
So the moral of my story I guess is that DON'T over do it and you will be fine. If you NEVER smoke pot or have NEVER smoked pot, take a BABY hoot - JUST 1 and WAIT!!!!!
I am curious though about tolerance and addiction potential of this stuff though....