DOSE:

1 cig.

smoked

Products - Spice-Like Smoking Blends

(plant material)

BODY WEIGHT:

65 kg

This is the story of my first spice gold experience.

INTRODUCTION

First, let me explain why I would buy that product which should have looked pretty suspicious to any objective person (because of its price, its taste and odor, and its claiming to be like weed while not containing any THC).

I first tried weed at the age of 15, with a friend of mine, during my summer vacations in Berlin (actually it was hash - but that's another story ^^). I was just amazed of the new-discovered effects of cannabis and I was very eager to experience them again. It was the first mind-altering substance that I had tried - well, I had been drunk before, but after this trial I learned to depise the brutal and intelligence-draining effects of alcohol. But there was the problem: I couldn't do so because at this time I used to live in a foreign country whose laws punished drug possession by years of jail. And these laws apply to ANY quantity of ANY substance considered as a drug. The press reported frequently that people who had been found carrying even the most unsignificant amounts of hash (and often without even knowing they had it) had been sent to jail - and without any proper trial. The direct consequence was that even in my school, where many people were familiar with pot, noone knew where to find some in the town, and even in the whole country (well, that's not a big country anyway). The only way to get high implied the risk of being arrested at the airport, and I didn't want to risk such a thing. So I spent a great part of my second year in this country dreaming about weed and the ways of getting some drugs without taking the terrible risk of being caught. And at that point I remembered an ancient chinese proverb of great wisdom that says 'google is your friend' and I decided to search the internet...

And that's how I discovered Spice products. The various comments I could find throughout the web (as the official website only describes it as a relaxing incense...) described cannabis-like effects and praised the product's legality. I decided to check that it was also legal in the country I lived in, but I couldn't find any information about that. Anyway, I assumed that the lack of any prohibited molecule in Spice and the fact that it wasn't really known - even on the web, in 2007 there was few information - and started considering ordering some. Because the site didn't provide any shippment to the country I lived in (and also because I didn't possess any credit card nor personal address at that time) I couldn't - and retrospectively, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing... Anyway, I somehow had to resign myself to accept the idea that in order to get high I would have to wait until my next summer vacations...

Now, I must introduce my friend Y. When I first met him, he was convinced that drugs were bad, or at least, that there was no good reason to take them. Well, during the two years of friendship that lasted before the experience I'm about to describe (yeah, sorry 'bout the long intro...), he started to accept the fact that one could smoke pot without being evil or stupid. But the reason why he's part of the story is that the year I discovered Spice on the web, he had developped a project that had almost become an obsession: he wanted to go to London, UK during the summer vacations. He had been there once with his family and altough this last fact obviously limited the fun he had had, he was realy determinated to return there the next summer, and possibly with some friends. In order to convince his parents to let him go, he decided to present the trip as an oportunity to improve his english (yeah, because, as you've maybe noticed, it's not my first language and, even if we used to talk english in the country we lived in, we could still improve our level - and that was a GREAT excuse ^^) and claimed that he wouldn't be left on his very own since I was to come with him. It worked perfectly, as our subscription to english lessons for two weeks in one of oxford street's institute did convince our mutual parents that we were going to be serious in our attempt to master the english language ;P.

So we did it, we went to London, and this is how the story begins...

BUYING A LEGAL HIGH

On our first day, after having some difficulties finding the place we were going to live in for two weeks, and after dropping there our luggage, we decided to go to the town's center. It was amazing, we had been waiting for this for a long time, and the city's atmosphere was realy pleasant.

We were walking through Tottenahm court Road (or at least, in this area), when I suddenly stopped at the front of a small headshop. I had seen some packs of Spice (and some pre-rolled Spice joints) aside Bongs and Pipes and I explained Y. what it was. He and I knew that I was going to smoke strong english weed during the two weeks anyway, but I was really curious about Spice, and, as in the first place I didn't know that british shops sold Spice products, I decided to buy and try it straight away (I didn't expect to find some more anywhere else - and I would later realize that I was wrong: in, fact - at least at this time - Spice could be found in almost every headshop, especially in those of Camden Town).

The shop assistant tried to sell me a 3g pack, but, as it was my first day in England I didn't want to spend so much money (he was offering it for 30 £) for something I was maybe not going to like, or that would have no other effect than some gross-tasting smoke in my lungs and less money in my pocket. So I gently declined his offer and asked for a pre-rolled 'Spice Gold' joint. I bought it for 7 £ - which was WAY TOO EXPENSIVE, but I didn't really care: it was only a trial and I realy wanted to get high after my long period of drug deprivation. Before I leave, the guy wishes me a pleasant trip, and tells me the joint is to be shared with two or three friends, and that it should realy be taken as serious as pot.

And now, enough introduction, there's the real story:

initial SET AND SETTING : after buying the product, we headed back to the hood we were staying at and found a bench in a little park.

T + 00:00 (around 18:00)

I light my pre-rolled Spice joint. The taste is nothing like weed or hash. Of course it isn't! This thing is legal, what did I expect? It has a kind of weird and somewhat fruity taste, with tones of honey, and I tend to believe more or less consciously that with such flavors in it, it can't be that similar to weed. I ask Y. if he wants to try it, an he takes a really little puff 'to get the taste' - which he doesn't seem to appreciate that much. I finish the joint and start to think that my plan to get high is going to be quite compromised...

T + 00:05

Y. proposes to get back to the town's center and have some fun anyhow, and I agree. As we get up from the bench, he asks me if I feel any effect. I was about to tell him something like 'no, man, this shit doesn't seem to work' when the first effects actually kick in. And I insist, they realy KICK IN: I begin to feel as if someone or something inside my head was hitting my brain with a hammer! I tell him so, and at this point it seems a different experience than with weed, and as enjoyable anyway. I feel fine, and as I start to get pretty high and we proceed leaving the park.

T + 00:15

As we walk to the tube station, my mouth begins to dry quickly, my heart rate begins to accelerate, and my vision is quite enhanced - exactly as with pot. And I still feel this strong emerging head stone that causes me to laugh, but I also begin to feel a little tired. My body feels heavy and somehow pulsatting. Yeaaaah!

T + 00:35

Still in the tube, I think I am peaking: as the stone is stronger than ever and I realy feel like I am a spectator inside of my body (that means: I'm realy tired, I don't feel like moving much anymore and I don't react to the tube's movement...). But, most of all, I get this fantastic time distortion: I realize it as at some point I asked Y. what time it was, and asked him again after what seemed to be ten minutes, only to discover only twenty seconds had elapsed... I ask him several other times and again, the same thing happens again. Okaaaayyyy... This is very new to me, but I kinda enjoy the overwhelming high I'm experiencing.

T + 01:00 - T + 02:00

I don't remember much, except that we didn't stop walking, and that Y.'s constant movement was getting increasingly difficult to follow. But, as I didn't want to ruin the evening only because I was extremely high, I just walked and tried to enjoy it. What I remember partialy, and that tallies with what Y. described me some days after, is that I didn't speak much. This was caused by the dryness of my mouth and throat, which made talking quite uncomfortable, and, most of all, I was kinda lost in my (realy confused) thoughts, and I didn't pay much attention to what I was doing...

I also remember that this chronic inactivity kinda irritated Y., who was totally sober, or at least, I felt it that way - because, when I started to say things such as: 'man, I sorry to be so blasted, being in my company must be really boring', he answered everything was fine but I still had this feeling that he was 'not amused' lol. He kept asking me in which direction we should be heading, or what I wanted to do, and each time I answered that I was too stoned to give an intelligent answer (which kinda reflected the brutallity of my trip: I was just 'out', and there was nothing to do - nothing like the kind of thoughts I get under weed). So we kept on walking...

T + 03:30

Well, this MUST have been the peak. My mouth is so dry that it hurts to move my tongue (wich is, by the way, dry as well)! We hang around Trafalgar Square and I am definitly convinced that I had smoken REALLY much, and that Spice is in fact a strong substance. It is the strongest experience - in terms of intensity - I have ever had so far. I feel increasingly tired, but as I think it must be due to Spice Gold, I try to continue to move along Y., even if I also ask for several pauses (at Trafalgar Square, for example).

T + 04:30 - T + 05:30

I give up, and Y. doesn't mind, because we have had a long day and he is tired too. We also expect to get up early the next morning, in order to pass some tests that will determin our level in english at the institute we're supposed to study in. I don't remember much, but we reach home, I fall on my bed, set an alarm on my cellphone and try to sleep. This isn't easy since I still feel a strong buzz in my head. But I eventually fall in a deep, deep sleep - and I expect it to be the conclusion of my heavy trip.

*** Will our hero be sober enough the next morning to pass his tests? You will find out by reading what happened the next day! ***

T + 12:30 (06:30 or something)

I hear the ringing of my alarm that is trying to tell me that I have to get up. It's fatality: I just do it, and, to my surprise, I do it quite easily. At this point I still feel some confusion in my mind - because I just woke up; so I try to clear my mind - and there it is: I still feel yesterday's strong buzz. I couldn't really say why, but somehow I expected it. It makes me laugh for a while, and I finally shout to Y. who is getting up in the room in front of mine something like 'Y. , dude ! Man, guess what? I'm still HIIIIIGH!'.

T + 14:00

The stone feeling in my head won't let me go. I have never experienced anything like this before, and I wonder if there is something wrong with me (I get thoughts like 'maybe I'm not really stone, it's just that yesterday Spice Gold fuNked up my senses so hard that it alters my perceptions'). But still, as I feel good on the whole ('yeah it's weird to be high that long with only one joint, but who cares, I feel okay') I just decide to ignore the fact that my conscience shouldn't be altered anymore and so we go without further interrogations to our institute.

T + 15:00

Still high. Can't believe it, still ignoring it. On our way to the institute, I tell Y. a couple of half-jokes such as 'dude, I am so blasted I will fuNk up all the tests' or 'man, look at my face: they WILL bust me - let's just hope they won't say anything'. If I had to describe the (strongly) remaining effects I was experiencing at that time, I would talk about a strong stone similar to the one I had the day before (though maybe a little less intense); but the main difference was that it was less 'interesting'. I was just stone and kinda tired - as it was some kind of weird interference with my normal thoughts, and it wasn't much enjoyable: in fact I had a very neutral feeling about this (well except for the fact that it was quite hilarious to pass some tests in this context ^^).

At the institute (sorry, I can't recall the exact hour) we, along with four or five other people, were given some questions to answer to on a sheet of paper (actually it was a multiple-choice questionnaire). Still convinced that this could only be a funny thing to do (as I was high), I started answering the questions.

And I was the first to finish! And there's no doubt about that: the next one finished something like 5 minutes after me... I found my sudden quickness quite strange, but, of course, I didn't mind - it only showed that I was somehow able to think normally, even if Spice's effects were still very present. I then had to pass a short interview in order to confirm my level in english and I did pretty well (even if I had more trouble concentrating than normally) - and I finally ended up in the 'advanced' group, which made me proud. Y. met me there 15 minutes after and we had our first lesson (which wasn't that extraordinary - and anyway, we didn't really pay any attention, since in the first place these lessons were just an excuse for our stay in London...).

T + 20:00

The effects are still there. We went out of the institute a couple of hours ago, had something to eat and started our exploration of London. I still lack in motivation, but less than yesterday.

T + 24:00 (well, around 18:00 - can't be really precise)

The effects start to fade away - or, at least, my mind is becoming clearer and I am happy to meet sobriety again, even if I feel exhausted. This is what I consider to be the end of my experience. Y. told me after that the next day I also looked quite stone, and as I remembered a kind of weird mental fatigue, I attribute this to the hangover.

CONCLUSION (if you didn't want to read it all cause I made it too long =P)

First, I would like to specify that this happenned almost two years ago, and that I probably forgot some interesting details; I also fear that this report describes my actions much more precisely than my state of mind (that is: the real mental experience).

Spice Gold is a real alternative to cannabis, to the extent that its effects are similar in terms of intensity. I would define it as more brutal, though: less sophisticated than the good'ol'weed that gives me a more relaxed, meditative, and joyfull trip, with also a more refined sense alteration. The effects of Spice are MUCH longer than those of pot, especially at high doses. But I can't deny the fun - even if it's a very particular one.

I clearly underestimated the product: a joint of pure Spice Gold is MUCH for only one person - especially if this person doesn't take drugs often: and that was unfortunately my case - maybe a Spice Silver joint would have been a wiser option.

Consequences:

- Short term : I didn't want to take any other substance for two days. Even after, I was quite undecided wether I should buy some more or not. It surely was legal, being 'a mix of legal herbs' and 'an incense' (an incense in pre-rolled joints, of course ><) - but it still seemed strange to me; and the effects, though strong, were really not as enjoyable as MJ. I finally bought 20 £ of some excellent weed that tasted excellent and gave me those very pleasant effects I hadn't found in Spice.

- Long term: Like I said, Spice isn't (for me at least) something that eases meditation - so I can't say that I learned anything from that experience. I tried Spice again some time after in completely different circumstances, and it was nice, but still not 'real' ganja.

Oh, and a couple of months ago, I met the friend with whom I first discovered pot. I hadn't seen him for two years, and so we spoke about our mutual experiences and I told him about Spice. He told me that he had heard of it (but never tried it though) and that it had become quite famous in Germany, where it was sold in many headshops. It became so famous there that the authorities started to wonder what it was exactly, conducted some analysis, found JWH-018 in it, and eventualy outlawed it.

I was somehow shocked to learn that I had smoken a not-so-natural product. JWH-018 being a cannabinoid, it explained the similarity to the effects of THC. And then I read online that other cannabinoids had been found in it by other analysis. Riiiight. I find it sad that people make money by selling products that are not what they claim to be. On the other side, if they had told the truth, Spice products would probably have been outlawed much more quickly. But smoking herbs is about FREEDOM, TRUTH and NATURE, and that's why I now consider that it is vanity to try to smoke an artificial cannabis-like stuff that isn't cannabis.

Herb is the Healing of the Nation!

PEACE, LOVE and UNITY!

Exp Year: 2008	ExpID: 82479
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 17
Published: Aug 13, 2010	Views: 10,381
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