A significant portion of vapes seized from young people in schools contain spice, a synthetic cannabinoid drug marketed deceptively as cannabis or THC, raising serious public health concerns. Researchers from the University of Bath analyzed 1,923 vapes confiscated from children across 114 schools in England and discovered that 13% contained spice, with rates reaching 25% in London and Lancashire. Among vapes specifically labeled as containing THC, CBD, or cannabis, drug-testing service Wedinos found that 39% of 297 samples received in the year up to March 2025 actually contained spice instead.
The drugs are readily available on social media platforms popular with young people, with estimates suggesting that 68% of products purchased via TikTok contain spice compared with 12% bought via Facebook. One case involved a 12-year-old who purchased spice vapes advertised as THC on social media, became addicted, and ended up hospitalized in a coma with a collapsed lung. The vapes are particularly concerning because they can be used in schools without detection, and educators report having no reliable way to distinguish between ordinary nicotine vapes and those containing spice.
Spice is fundamentally different from natural cannabis, binding much more strongly to cellular receptors and producing vastly more potent effects. Unlike THC in cannabis, which partially binds to certain receptors, spice acts as a full agonist with substantially stronger impacts on the body and brain. Acute health risks include psychosis, aggression, hypertensive crisis, seizures, and cardiac arrest, with effects that can onset rapidly and intensely. A 2015 Global Drugs Survey found that the risk of requiring emergency medical treatment when using spice was 30 times greater than with high-potency cannabis varieties.
Spice is also highly addictive, potentially trapping vulnerable young people in situations of dependency and criminal activity. According to health experts, addiction to such strong substances removes personal agency and can lead young users to steal from family members or become exploited by drug dealers. Those already facing poverty, trauma, and lack of family support face elevated risk, compounding existing health disparities.
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