It was produced from the webs of spice spiders. The spice was photoactive, so it had to be mined in total darkness or it would be ruined. After it was mined, it had to be packaged in an opaque paper to prevent accidental activation. Glitterstim was quite addictive—casual use could quickly lead to full-blown addiction. "Cutters" prepared the spice for sale. Glitterstim addicts were sometimes called "glit-biters." Glitterstim was the basis for other spice variants, such as glitteryll and tempest.