Boomers have a certain image of weed (grass, maryjane - whatever floats your boat, man). Whether you did it or condemn it, marijuana was considered the "mild" drug, at least by comparison. That's because users of yesterday tended to act relaxed, sleepy, perhaps useless to society but never violent. Grow a house plant, dry it up and roll it in a paper and voila: instant chill.

No more.

Not to belittle its harmful properties, but even marijuana isn't what it used to be. It's more commonly laced with other "enhancers," artificially made more potent and more addictive. That has changed its characteristics and complicated the old image. Worse, we have the fake stuff now. Highly addictive and mimicking THC (the active element in marijuana), "spice" is legally sold at some convenience stores and Internet sites, but not for long. Idaho lawmakers passed a law against it in March, the same month the federal DEA ordered a one-year ban on certain ingredients.

Spice is no chill pill; don't let the herbal ingredients fool you.

It was New Year's Eve, so some subscribers may have missed the story on A1 Saturday. Spice is the latest worry for the U.S. military; they're seeing exponentially more cases of use on active duty and have developed a new test to detect it (normal drug tests don't, but likely will soon). It's also spreading among teens, who don't understand that "synthetic marijuana" is nothing like weed's old image.

Spice users have hallucinations that can last for days. Their blood pressure and heart rates go up fast, and skin may turn pale. They have anxiety attacks and manic episodes, get hyper and do crazy things. Some die on a high.

I know this too well. Someone I care about admitted using it, explaining the mess his life had become. He told me that in one month, $7,000 "disappeared." Professional job: gone. Girlfriend: gone. Food and sleep: forgotten. Suicidal thoughts: routine. Spice is too new for research on its effects on psychological and physical health, but my impression sure is clear.

What is it? A concoction of herbs and chemicals, some not otherwise harmful and others which stick to brain cells like glue; in combination they take over like a puppeteer. Typically sold in shiny little packets (or round make-up size containers) with labels including Spice, K2, Mojo, Black Mamba, Taj High, Rain, Herbal Incense, Salsa Brava and countless others, it looks like tiny dried leaves and reminds me of oregano.

There are several variations, but generally spice is synthesized from a variety of plant products, then sprayed with psychotropic chemicals. It was discovered accidentally; a lab researcher named Dr. John W. Huffman developed a designer concoction he named "JWH-18," for legitimate research on the effects of cannabis. His was a stimulant with 10 times cannabis' potency. His published results were used in the '90s to stimulate plant growth in Asia, then misused by 2004 in western Europeans and Americans looking for new (then legal) highs.

"When you take these drugs, you are hijacking the part of the brain important for many functions: temperature control, food intake, perception, memory, and problem solving," Dr. Huffman told WebMD. "It's like Russian roulette to use these drugs."

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email sholehjo@hotmail.com.