Law enforcement officers seized illegal substances and drug paraphernalia from a Lihue shop after a four-month investigation.

At about 10:30 a.m. Monday, police and officers from the state Narcotics Enforcement Division executed a search warrant at the Dream Electronics Cigarettes shop on Rice Street.

Items seized included synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic ecstasy and synthetic cocaine. Several bongs, smoking pipes and other drug paraphernalia also were seized, according to a news release by the Kauai Police Department

No arrests were made, and police are continuing their investigation.

Synthetic cannabinoids, also known as "Spice" or "K2," are a combination of herbs and spices typically sprayed with a synthetic compound similar to THC, a chemical compound in marijuana, police said. Synthetic stimulants that are commonly referred to as "bath salts" mimic the effects of cocaine and are sold in the form of powder, tablet or capsule.

According to the news release, Kauai Assistant Police Chief Roy Asher said people get a false sense of security that synthetic drugs are legal and safe. That’s simply not the case, he said. "These products lead to the same adverse health effects as the drugs they mimic, such as anxiety, seizures, hallucinations, paranoid behavior and non-responsiveness."

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has reported an increase in the use of the substances over the past several years.

Distribution or possession of the synthetic products, which are classified as Schedule 1 substances under the federal Controlled Substance Act, is illegal.