The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have finally moved to schedule Mephedrone (4-MMC), Methylone (M1), and MDPV. The announcement comes as a precursor to an upcoming Emergency Control which will place the synthetic (AKA “research chemical”) drugs under Schedule I (one) control – the highest or otherwise most illegal drug classification. The ban will put the chemicals under control for at least 12 months with the potential for a further 6 month extension. It is expected that legislation will be passed during this time to permanently ban the substances.

Research Chemicals to be Banned:

Mephedrone (4-MMC) – A short lasting synthetic stimulant / entactogen. Known for its addictive nature. The chemical structure of mephedrone suggests that it is capable of serious harm to the body (particularly the heart) if used over a sustained period of time.

Methylone (M1 / bk-MDMA) – An entactogen / stimulant. Known for having properties similar to MDMA.

MDPV – A strong stimulant. Reported to have a highly addictive nature causing users to stay up for days. Used as the active ingredient in many “bath salts” found in head shops and gas stations.

DEA Release Announcement:

DEA Moves to Emergency Control Synthetic Stimulants
Agency Will Study Whether To Permanently Control Three Substances

SEP 07 — WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is using its emergency scheduling authority to temporarily control three synthetic stimulants (Mephedrone , 3,4 methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and Methylone).   This action was necessary to protect the public from the imminent hazard posed by these dangerous chemicals. Except as authorized by law, this action will make possessing and selling these chemicals or the products that contain them illegal in the U.S. for at least one year while the DEA and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) further study whether these chemicals should be permanently controlled.

A Notice of Intent to temporarily control was published in the Federal Register today to alert the public to this action. This alert is required by law as part of the Controlled Substances Act. In 30 days or more, DEA intends to publish in the Federal Register a Final Order to temporarily control these chemicals for at least 12 months, with the possibility of a six-month extension. The final order will be published in the Federal Register and will designate these chemicals as Schedule I substances, the most restrictive category, which is reserved for unsafe, highly abused substances with no currently accepted medical use in the United States.

“This imminent action by the DEA demonstrates that there is no tolerance for those who manufacture, distribute, or sell these drugs anywhere in the country, and that those who do will be shut down, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart.  “DEA has made it clear we will not hesitate to use our emergency scheduling authority to control these dangerous chemicals that pose a significant and growing threat to our nation.”

Over the past few months, there has been a growing use of, and interest in, synthetic stimulants sold under the guise of “bath salts” or “plant food”. Marketed under names such as “Ivory Wave”, “Purple Wave”, “Vanilla Sky” or “Bliss”, these products are comprised of a class of chemicals perceived as mimics of cocaine, LSD, MDMA, and/or methamphetamine. Users have reported impaired perception, reduced motor control, disorientation, extreme paranoia, and violent episodes. The long-term physical and psychological effects of use are unknown but potentially severe. These products have become increasingly popular, particularly among teens and young adults, and are sold at a variety of retail outlets, in head shops and over the Internet.  However, they have not been approved by the FDA for human consumption or for medical use, and there is no oversight of the manufacturing process.

In the last six months, DEA has received an increasing number of reports from poison centers, hospitals and law enforcement regarding products containing one or more of these chemicals.  Thirty-three states have already taken action to control or ban these or other synthetic stimulants.  The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 amends the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to allow the DEA Administrator to temporarily schedule an abused, harmful, non-medical substance in order to avoid an imminent hazard to public safety while the formal rule-making procedures described in the CSA are being conducted.

What do you think – did the DEA make the right move? Let us know in the comments below.

Today I had a chance to check out the infamous Skyscraper Bud from International Oddities. I ordered a 1/2 ounce bag and it arrived a few days later (probably would have been quicker but I live pretty far from California where IO is located.) Like I said I got a half for $35 but in retrospect I should have ordered the can of Skyscraper for $45 because it comes with a full ounce for only $15 more. Oh well, I like to try new strains so this will give me an excuse to try another next time

My favorite place to try a new strain of weed (edit: this is not marijuana, but I sometimes call herbal smokes weed because it’s a force of habit) is in the forest on a nice day. However, being mid-November, I looked out my window and it was raining real hard. So instead I rolled myself a spliff of Skyscraper and chilled out to watch TV.

Admittedly I didn’t get to test the full effects of my mind since I was alone and couldn’t interact with anyone. What I can say though is that I found myself very relaxed and content to watch the Cartoon Network for about 2 hours. The taste of the smoke was alright… not “nice” or sweet, but familiar and tolerable. It was smooth burning and smooth to smoke so that much I liked.

I like this bud and wish I had shelled out the extra $15 so I could have twice as much… ah well, I’ll set that 15 aside for my next review

Click here to learn more about Skyscraper Bud

In Grasscity’s words: “420 means: 4 days of shopping with a 20% discount.”

That’s April 20, 21, 22, 23rd everyone.

Coupon Code: “420BABY”

Click to visit GrassCity

Green Dragon, for those that do not already know, is a drink typically made from marijuana distilled in clear alcohol. I have tried Green Dragon in the past and to be honest I didn’t really feel anything. People also say it tastes awful but really it wasn’t so bad.

About a month ago I ordered and received some Panama Gold from IO. The smoke from it was pretty decent (though I’d probably prefer some Blueberry) but it wasn’t really my type of strain… too much of a body feeling with too little of a mental change. So, I decided to take my left over Panama Gold and make some Panama Gold Green Dragon out of it. This, as far as I know, the first attempt at a legal bud version of Green Dragon ever. So, how did it turn out? Take a look yourself.

As for the effects? It worked. Though, it felt a bit more mild than if I had just smoked the Panama Gold on its own… though perhaps I was just drunk. In either case, I’d love to hear of anyone else’s experiences trying this. That’s it for today. Have a Merry Christmas!

Oh, and I have ordered some A’Hia Bud (aka Ahia Hawaiian Bud). So stay tuned for that as well!

While our site may have been conceived to bring the low-down on legal bud and other marijuana alternatives, it is not hard to understand why some of our readers would email us asking questions regarding other legal highs. In this case, I am referring to research chemicals. We have been emailed asking about research chemicals ranging from JWH-018, to Bk-MDMA, to 2C-T-2, to Dimethocaine. For a long while we didn’t know what to tell these people as none of us have had any experience with research chemicals (because to be frank, the legal bud business provides us with plenty of opportunities to get high legally). But then we started to notice a pattern: a large number of the emails were referencing a website called BuyTheMg which can be found at BuyTheMg.com.

So we got to thinking: what if we did a review of BuyTheMg? Surely that would please many readers since it was clearly a topic in demand. For those of you who are only interested in legal bud – you will have to bare with us.

We began by researching BuyTheMg to ensure that they were not a scam. What we found were very mixed reviews with some people claiming “BEWARE BUYTHEMG ARE A SCAM!” while others seemed very pleased with their timely results. In the end it boiled down to the same situation that we find ourselves in so commonly in the legal bud business: it’s up to our luck to find out. And with that we have came to conclude that the only fair way to review BuyTheMg and in turn do our duty to our readers was to order a product and see if BuyTheMg is a scam or not. And if not, is their service worth of our readers’ time and money?

Therefore, we have ordered the following from BuyTheMg: 100mg of JWH-018, 500mg of 2C-T-2, and finally 500mg of Buphedrone.

Is BuyTheMg a scam? Only time will tell. We will update our site with the results as well as a full review of BuyTheMg as soon as our products (hopefully) arrive. If any readers have any comments regarding BuyTheMg’s services then please leave your feedback in the comments below!

Today my package of Splice – Original from IO arrived (and in a timely fashion, might I add). I decided to order a package of Splice based off a recommendation from a reader named Mike D. (also known as m4asterkushx). He told me that he had purchased a packet of Splice – Platinum and had enjoyed the extra “kick” that it gave to his bowls. If you take a look at International Oddities’ site, you will see that there are four different kinds of Splice: Original, Platinum, Green, and XXXX. If you are confused by the titles then don’t feel alone as I had and still have no idea what the difference between them are. As such, I felt the most scientific way to review this product would be to order the Splice Original and go from there.

If you are familiar with kief then Splice Original may look familiar to you.

So as you can see, quantity wise, not a bad deal for $20. But how does it smoke? I purchased the Splice with the intent to top off bowls with it to make them a little stronger – a little bit more special. Kind of like how you would take the kief from the bottom of your grinder and put it on top of your bowl on a special occasion. So, I decided the only fair way to test this product would be to throw some on top of a bowl of my favorite strain of legal bud: Blueberry Bud!

A bowl of Blueberry Bud with some Splice Original on top.

Yes, it is as good as it looks

Final verdict: 8/10

I could definitely see myself buying some Splice again, though next time I would probably try something other than the Original just to see what they are like. At $20-25 you can’t really go wrong. I already get a fair bit of “kief” off my legal bud grinding as is, but it would take a long time to capture as much as what comes in one packet of Splice. If you’re looking for a way to get more buzz from your smoke without going through your bud any quicker, then I highly (lol pun) recommend that you check out Splice Original. Or, better yet, try another type and let us know how it goes in the comments below!

Now, today I have a special treat for you guys. I am going to give you my personal review of the Blueberry Bud strain from International Oddities which I purchased last Thursday. It all started off with an all-too-typical scenario: It was Thursday night, tomorrow was Friday, and my dealer was dry leaving me hanging for the weekend. I have ordered from International Oddities in the past (about 2 years ago) and to be quite honest, I was not that blown away. I mean, the effects were pretty decent… a bit less than the real thing, but you know, they did work about as well as I had expected. The taste however… and the smell… oh, the awful smell. Anyways, in an act of desperation I decided to order some Blueberry Bud and see how things went. And let me tell you – they went wonderfully!

Let me start off by saying: either I had chosen really poorly last time I ordered, or I have stumbled upon a hidden gem with this strain. The effects were, again, fairly typical of legal bud. Light headed, greater appreciation for nature and music, just general chillness. But the taste was the freakin’ opposite of the previous strain I had purchased. It tasted like… not quite like the taste of blueberries, but definitely fruity. Maybe like blue hubba-bubba gum, only less artificial tasting (if that makes any sense). The smell was pretty good too, considering it was burning. One of my friends, a fairly large (illegal) stoner actually complimented my bud on it’s pleasant smell saying “man that’s some dank smell weed”. I told him: “haha, this ain’t weed! It’s Blueberry Bud!“. He proceeded to tell me I’m an idiot because blueberry is a weed strain. Well, he is the one paying more for a product that smells worse, tastes worse, and has the same effects. I’ll leave you to decide who the real idiot is