San Diegan Jonathan Riendeau and Floridian Jade Plante were arrested June 27 for selling synthetic cannabinoids over the internet, according to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where the case is being handled.

The Herb Riendeau Store with Jonathan Riendeau as principal operates at 4311 Ocean Boulevard. It is not clear, however, that synthetic cannabinoids have been sold at this location. He and Plante are charged with operating websites that sold more than $1 million of synthetic cannabinoids, sometimes called K2 or “Spice,” over the internet. Riendeau and Plante used colorful brand names such as “Dead Man Walking,” “Brainfreeze,” “Klimax,” “Delirium,” “Purple Haze,” and “F*cking Crazy,” according to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, synthetic cannabinoids are "human-made, mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so they can be smoked, or sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes or other devices.” They are marketed as safe alternatives to marijuana. “In fact, they are not safe and may affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana; their actual effects can be unpredictable and, in some cases, more dangerous or even life-threatening."