{"id":6707,"date":"2022-11-02T18:50:43","date_gmt":"2022-11-03T01:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/?p=6707"},"modified":"2023-01-23T18:15:22","modified_gmt":"2023-01-24T02:15:22","slug":"can-you-smoke-incense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/can-you-smoke-incense\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Smoke Incense? Can Incense Get You High? (Explained)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The most <a href=\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/is-incense-made-of-dung\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5935\">basic incense recipes<\/a> incorporate plant matter, like seeds, flower petals, resin, and herbs. Due to this, people have asked if you can smoke incense.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Incense is not made for human consumption or ingestion and incense smoke should not be directly inhaled. With that said, there is an incense that\u2019s sold and smoked as a legal alternative to marijuana. It\u2019s laced with synthetic chemicals that mimic euphoria experienced after smoking marijuana. This synthetic material may smell nice, but it can cause illness and even death.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Awareness of this form of incense is essential because it is frequently sold alongside traditional incense products. Continue reading to understand the impact of this faux incense.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Can-You-Smoke-Incense-800.jpg\" alt=\"Can You Smoke Incense\" class=\"wp-image-6716\" srcset=\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Can-You-Smoke-Incense-800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Can-You-Smoke-Incense-800-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Can-You-Smoke-Incense-800-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Herbal Incense and Can You Smoke it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It turns out that not every substance that\u2019s <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/templates\/story\/story.php?storyId=124087307\" target=\"_blank\">marketed as incense<\/a> is harmless. Research has shown that constant exposure to large amounts of incense smoke can potentially agitate or exacerbate pulmonary conditions, and can increase risk of development of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2559972\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">respiratory tract cancers<\/a> with long-term use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there isn\u2019t a strong direct link between exposure to incense smoke and the development of cancer or any other serious illness.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s striking is that there is a form of incense that can cause immediate harm, long-term illness, or even death.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s it Called?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Made of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cjonline.com\/story\/news\/local\/2009\/12\/06\/stub-737\/16508059007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">flowers and herbs<\/a>, burning this incense in a pipe smells the same as any incense stick or cone, but it\u2019s significantly different because a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dea.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/sites\/getsmartaboutdrugs.com\/files\/publications\/DoA_2017Ed_Updated_6.16.17.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">psychoactive chemical component<\/a> has been added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>These botanical blends are sold under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/chemical\/synthetic-cannabinoids.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">many different names<\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emcdda.europa.eu\/system\/files\/publications\/2753\/POD_Synthetic%20cannabinoids_0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Afghan incense<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bombay Blue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cloud 9<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fake weed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Genie<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Joker<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>K2 (as in, the second highest mountain in the world)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mojo<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Releaf<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scooby Snax<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spice gold<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yucatan fire<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Zohai<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>K2 is a really common reference, but there are even more trade names. What this drug is called varies by country, state, and region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s most dangerous is that it\u2019s marketed as herbal incense or potpourri, making them easily accessible. <strong>Some businesses enforce an age limit &#8211; only allowing those 18 years and older to purchase this \u201cherbal incense,\u201d but this isn\u2019t always the case.<\/strong> Younger teens and adolescents have been known to gain access to this legal substance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But even those who are aware of its <a href=\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/can-incense-make-you-sick\/\">danger downplay the potential harm that can be caused<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Deceptive Packaging<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A store owner in Lawrence, Kansas enforced the age restriction but labeled these drugs as \u201csacred herbs\u201d and &#8220;incense blends&#8221; as if they were benign. This store was called &#8220;The Sacred Journey.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> According to the local news agency, this store owner described K2 as &#8220;the most impressive blend of rare botanicals, extracts and herbs&#8221; designed to &#8220;draw you in and lift you up.&#8221;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not taken seriously enough, after multiple federal raids investigating their sale of the substance, the store is <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.ljworld.com\/news\/2010\/feb\/04\/lawrences-sacred-journey-closed-today-under-invest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">now permanently closed<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Even though store owners and users are under the full understanding that K2 is intended to be smoked, outer packaging reads, \u201cnot for human consumption.\u201d Labels also indicate that its contents are natural ingredients while excluding the fact that psychoactive chemicals have also been added to the herbs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Government agencies are trying to reduce access to this drug until it\u2019s made illegal, which would permit them to make arrests, but it\u2019s been a long road. Even with slow progress, though, sites like K2Incense.org &#8211; which used to be a popular resource for those purchasing this substance &#8211; are no longer active.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Side Effects to Smoking K2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s even more disturbing about smoking K2, or Spice, is that there is little known about how it\u2019s manufactured and who is making the chemical formulas. Manufacturing and distribution is unregulated and the chemicals can vary from batch to batch in terms of intensity and overall makeup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This might be why users have so many different experiences with the drug. Beyond relaxation and euphoria, some users experience negative reactions, including:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Accidental overdose<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hallucinations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Poisonings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Severe bleeding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rapid heart rate&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Severe anxiety<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Violent behavior<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kidney damage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Seizures, organ failure, and even death can result from K2 that\u2019s laced with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Available in powder or dried herb form, K2 can be smoked in a pipe, a water pipe, or rolled in cigarette paper like marijuana. It can also be dissolved in a solution, and then vaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Incense Get You High?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Burning traditional incense can create different effects on the body.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/lavender-incense\/\">Lavender<\/a> or rose incense can help you relax and fall asleep. Citrus or <a href=\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/does-incense-smell-like-smoke\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5913\">green tea incense<\/a> can invigorate you. True frankincense and myrrh incense can help combat bacterial and fungal infections.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>But traditional incense cannot get you high because it doesn\u2019t contain any psychoactive substances like those found in marijuana or K2.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are three primary synthetic chemicals in K2 that mimic the euphoric high produced by marijuana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>JWH-018<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HU-210<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>JWH-073<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cjonline.com\/story\/news\/local\/2009\/12\/06\/stub-737\/16508059007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">article states<\/a> that, &#8220;The U.S. Department of Justice said in July that the synthetic drug HU-210, which is found in &#8220;Spice&#8221; products, was found to be 66 to 88 times more active than THC when administered to rats and pigeons. It is considered a controlled substance in the United States. However, JWH-018, which is a chemical found in K2, isn&#8217;t a controlled substance.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>JWH &#8211; named for Clemson University chemist John W. Huffman, these compounds were never intended to be used as a recreational drug. <\/strong>Huffman stated that isolating this compound was merely an academic exercise that is now known for its misappropriated use.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and this is the component of marijuana that\u2019s considered illegal and it\u2019s what\u2019s tested in the field or in work environments. Since THC doesn\u2019t exist in K2 formulas, K2 is smoked more freely.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>K2\u2019s specific combination of compounds is considered a controlled substance but can only be detected through chemical analysis of the kind that is not carried out with the typical drug test given by law enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Another dilemma that exists when it comes to creating and enforcing a law that would prohibit the use and distribution of this \u201cfake marijuana\u201d is that the formula is constantly changing.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>&#8220;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cjonline.com\/story\/news\/local\/2009\/12\/06\/stub-737\/16508059007\/\" target=\"_blank\">Chemical testing of several brands<\/a> of herbal incense have shown to contain synthetic cannabinoid compounds or chemicals that mimic them, notably HU-210 and JWH-018, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said in March. In addition, the DEA said there are at least half a dozen other compounds with similar makeups being used to adulterate the plant materials tested.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>They can\u2019t create laws against unpredictable chemical formulations. Which is why although I use the phrase, \u201cthis drug\u201d in singular form, there isn\u2019t one specific drug formula for K2\/Spice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>K2 is sold in gas stations, novelty stores, convenience stores, drug paraphernalia shops, and online.<strong> Not only can K2 get you high, it&#8217;s a more addictive and intense high than with marijuana.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though it\u2019s twice as expensive as marijuana, users are willing to pay the higher amount due to the euphoric high, the fact that they can\u2019t be arrested for smoking it, and because they can pass a drug test after having smoked it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kansas was the first state to impose a law against the use of this drug back in 2010. Since then, the number of states that have outlawed this drug steadily climbs. Currently there are a total of eight:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Alabama<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Georgia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Illinois<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kansas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kentucky<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Louisiana<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Missouri<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tennessee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>And many more states have pending legislation against the distribution and purchase of this \u201cherbal incense.\u201d City ordinances also exist in some places that haven\u2019t passed law at the state level.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.emcdda.europa.eu\/system\/files\/publications\/2753\/POD_Synthetic%20cannabinoids_0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">European countries<\/a> are also monitoring the use, manufacturing, and distribution of this &#8220;legal high&#8221; product. They purchase and test the product to learn more about their chemical makeup and track how the formulas change over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In some cases, their law enforcement agencies have seized small quantities of K2 that are sold online by intercepting deliveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In Closing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can both <a href=\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/does-incense-set-off-a-smoke-alarm\/\">smoke and get high from incense<\/a> that\u2019s sold as a synthetic marijuana. Two of the more common street names for it is K2 and Spice. Unlike marijuana, K2 is not a natural herb. It\u2019s plant matter that\u2019s been coated with harmful psychoactive chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although it smells as lovely as the traditional incense that you might burn in your home, K2 effects are more harmful than good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Instead of smoking this deceptive incense, learn more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/reasons-to-burn-incense\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5062\">benefits of burning natural incense<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The most basic incense recipes incorporate plant matter, like seeds, flower petals, resin, and herbs. Due to this, people have asked if you can smoke incense.&nbsp; Incense is not made<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6707"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6707"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7453,"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6707\/revisions\/7453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/housefragrance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}