What is funky monkey spice?

Funky Monkey (or Funky Monkey Spice) is a brand of chemical herb designed to give you a 'legal high' similar to that of marijuana. It is in the process of being made illegal, and some US states have already banned the spice, calling it dangerous. The spice is usually branded as incense and some even carry the label 'Not for human consumption' despite the fact that it is sold for human consumption. It works by taking normal herbs and treating them with chemical substances similar to those found in marijuana, therefore supposedly giving a similar effect. Many of these chemicals can also be found in toxic plant food etc and the chemicals are not healthy and potentially very harmful to your body.

• How is it used?

The 'spice' is typically added to tobacco and smoked as this is the easiest way to ingest it. It comes in a variety of flavors, making it more palatable. The danger comes in that very little is known about the ingredients for the spices, therefore a user will not know what it is that they are putting into their bodies, and it could be harmful.

• Warnings and potential side effects

Most forums on the subject have suggested that the 'buzz' that users receive is nowhere near that of illegal drug marijuana and many complain of dizziness or vomiting whilst using the substance. It is not uncommon to hallucinate whilst on such "spices" either. The US government have tried to ban the substance but it impossible to ban a brand name, so the use of the chemicals or substances in the herb become banned instead, instead the product has become highly regulated. As they continue to regulate and ban substances, the manufacturers insist that the banned substance is removed, making the "herb" compliant whilst not taking anything away from the legal high.