Article

Mongan, Deirdre (2026) New psychoactive substances identified in Ireland 2021–2025. Drugnet Ireland , Issue 94, April 2026 , pp. 1-4.

Duddy, Claire (2025) What are synthetic drugs? House of Commons Library Insight .

Kourouni, Ismini and Mourad, Bashar and Khouli, Hassan and Shapiro, Janet M and Mathew, Joseph P (2020) Critical illness secondary to synthetic cannabinoid ingestion. JAMA Network Open , 3 , (7) , e208516.

Alam, Ryan M and Keating, John J (2020) Adding more "spice" to the pot: a review of the chemistry and pharmacology of newly emerging heterocyclic synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists. Drug Testing and Analysis , 12 , (3) , pp. 297-315.

Drug and Alcohol Findings. (2017) Cannabis is worth bothering about. Drug and Alcohol Findings Hot Topic , (10 July 2017) .

Report

Manchester Health & Care Commissioning. (2017) Spice. Synthetic cannabinoids (SCRAs). Manchester Health & Care Commissioning.

European Commission Directorate-General for Justice. (2014) New psychoactive substances projects, studies and research funded by the European Commission. Brussels: European Commission.

European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. (2009) EMCDDA 2009 thematic paper: Understanding the 'Spice' phenomenon. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

FactSheet

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2023) DrugFacts: Synthetic cannabinoids (K2/Spice). Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Drugs.ie. (2017) The strength of your cannabinoid may be higher than you think. Synthetic Cannabinoids (‘Spice’). Dublin: drugs.ie.

Ballyfermot Advance Project, Base Youth and Child Centre, Ballyfermot. (2010) Legal highs & headshops: some basic facts. Dublin: Ballyfermot Drugs Task Force.

Dail Debates

[Oireachtas] Seanad Éireann debate - An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business [Synthetic cannabinoids]. (29 Apr 2026)

[Oireachtas] Dail Eireann debate. Written answer 74 - National Drugs Strategy [Head shops] [39804/09]. (05 Nov 2009)

News

[Irish Examiner] , English, Eoin Three inmates overdose on synthetic drug in Cork Prison. (28 Jan 2025)

[Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland] Call to alert young people to dangers of ‘spice’. (13 May 2021)

[thejournal.ie] , Brophy, Daragh A drug with 'zombie-like' effects is causing huge problems in Manchester. So what is it? (15 Apr 2017)

[thejournal.ie] ‘Designer drugs’ being sold as ‘bath salts’ and ‘spice’ causing concern. (27 Jun 2013)

European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Leading experts to review global developments in new drugs and ‘legal highs’. (07 Jun 2012)

[Department of Health and Children] Department of Health and Children statement in relation to legislation to be made under Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. (03 Mar 2010)