SCOTT Anthony Barkle thought he wasn't breaking the law when he purchased what he believed to be synthetic drugs from an associate.

But the Maryborough Magistrates Court has heard it didn't take him very long to find out that possessing the substances was in fact illegal.

The court heard yesterday that Barkle, 24, was intercepted by police immediately after purchasing a synthetic cannabinoid known as Venom and an unidentified red substance in November last year.

Police seized the substances and sent them off to be analysed.

The 2.75g of Venom was purely synthetic cannabis but the red substance contained a "very small" amount of methamphetamine.

Barkle yesterday pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing dangerous drugs and breaching a probation order.

Defence lawyer Travis George said Barkle, who was recovering from a drug addiction, was told both substances were synthetic.

Barkle was fined $500 for possessing dangerous drugs and $300 for breaching a probation order.

Synthetic drug laws -

Synthetic forms of cannabis and stimulants first emerged in Queensland in 2007 and have since become so popular that the State Government is in the process of changing the law to make them illegal.

Marketed as 'legal high' synthetic drugs such as Venom can be found online, but most have been illegal since late 2011.

"Synthetic drugs are just as dangerous as the real thing and have become more prevalent as illicit drugs become harder and more expensive to buy," Attorney General Jarrod Bleijie said.

"Drug cooks come up with new mixtures of synthetic drugs that have the same effect but are not yet banned because the chemical make-up is slightly different from a listed substance."