Thanks guys, there's some good advice here.
Considering my limited interest in cannibinoids in the first place, I think I'll stay away from synthetics. At least for the time being.
The price and the ease of storage are attractive features to me as well, but when it comes down to it, those just aren't worth the possibility of real bodily harm and potential addiction.
A question: when you people report that synthetics build tolerance fast/are hard to come off of, is this simply because it's easier to take more than with real weed? Or is it something unique to the cannibinoids themselves? (Eg. Being a full agonist). I guess what I'm asking is this: if I consumed an amount of synthetic that would give me an equivalent high to a normal joint, would I build tolerance or face addiction/dependence more rapidly than if I were to smoke a joint?