As someone who's been smoking for a while (13 years) and done many other psychoactive drugs (LSD, Psilocybin Mushrooms, Mescalin/Peyote) I can say that Marijuana is definitely high on the list because after a while, there are no harmful effects. However out of the psychoactive drugs listed, it gets you the least high.
However these legal buds, if you do want to call them buds (more so plants claimed as such) are a rip off. I've come across several of sites, and from each site tried 2 different buds. Only one, whose name I forgot, got me "buzzing" if you will. Now, as someone who has toked for a notable amount of time, there are definitely times in which an alternative is necessary i.e. one is caught toking (really bad when caught in the act), and doesn't necessarily want to give it up. Also, piss tests say for a job, are another reason one would deduce to using a legal "bud".
Or, one might not have enough money to buy it in their current area. I've been around the world, and there are definitely different areas of accessibility. Such as in Arizona, Marijuana is usually cheaper, than say U.K. (And i do sympathize for the U.K. smokers, hang in there). If you want to try, go ahead, but just warning you, it is mot likely going to be a waste of money. But if so, I recommend going somewhere to sell the rest.
The general idea of these buds is the use of cannabinols. Cannabinol is the main chemical in THC, which gets you high. After a while THC is formed into a different chemical in the brain that actually gets you higher than THC. Ever wonder why Catnip gets cats to go f*$king crazy? Catnip is a cannabinol (actually i got catnip when i ordered a legal bud) and that effects the perception, and mood of the feline. Take Spice (Gold/Diamond) for example. It contains a mutated form of THC, which not only allows it to be legal, but a psychoactive "drug". Apparently a portion of these legal "buds" contain cannabinol, which by itself can induce mild psychoactive effects, but nothing compared to Marijuana, and THC. Others are mere relaxants, such as the chemicals found in the Hawaiian Gold "bud". Overall, looking into these legal "buds" is probably a waste of time. There is no theoretical substitute for Marijuana, as THC is a VERY potent cannabinol, and reacts differently than a mere cannabinol would. So any "high" one would get from these so called "buds" wouldn't be...comparable, if you will, to good Ol' Mary Jane.