Statewide spice ban moves ahead

Dorothy Schneider :: Journal and Courier :: January 11, 2011

A bill that would ban the possession and sale of synthetic cannabinoids, such as products known as Spice and K2, passed unanimously from a state Senate committee this morning.

Senate Bill 57, sponsored by Lafayette Republican Ron Alting, was given the green light by the committee on corrections, criminal and civil matters. It will now move on for consideration by the full Senate.

Tippecanoe County Sheriff Tracy Brown and Lafayette Police Officer Matt Devine testified in support of the measure.

Brown told committee members about the problems seen here by local police and medical personnel from people using the marijuana substitute, which is more potent and not meant for human consumption.

Similar bans on these products were approved last fall by officials in Tippecanoe County and the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette.

For more on this story, read Thursday's Journal & Courier.

DEA declares K2-Spice Illegal

by: Daniel J. DeNoon :: WebMD Health News

The Drug Enforcement Administration is using its emergency powers to make K2, Spice, and other "legal high" herbal products Schedule I controlled substances -- that is, illegal drugs with no permitted medical use. The declaration will take effect after a mandatory 30-day waiting period, and will have the effect of law for at least a year. When the waiting period expires, sale or possession of the substances will be a federal crime.

Specifically, the soon-to-be banned drugs are five designer drugs that mimic the effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The drugs are JWH-018, JWH-073, JWHY-200, CP-47,497, and cannabicyclohexanol.

"Legal high" products claim to be mixtures of herbs that can be smoked for a psychedelic effect. But the herbs listed on the package label often are missing from the actual product. Instead, the product contains a leafy mixture that is spiked with a designer drug -- usually one of the five drugs listed by the DEA.

The same product often is spiked with different doses of different drugs, making it impossible for users to know what they are taking.

Like THC, the active ingredient in marijuana and other forms of cannabis, these synthetic cannabinoids turn on the cannabinoid receptors (switches that trigger activity) found on many cells in the body. The brain is particularly rich in the CB1 cannabinoid receptor.

But most synthetic cannabinoids are quite different chemical structures from THC. And unlike cannabis, which has been used by humans for millennia, the new drugs have never been tested in humans.

The DEA says the American Association of Poison Control Centers has received more than 1,500 calls relating to products spiked with these designer cannabinoids. The calls came from 48 states and the District of Columbia.

The drugs appear to come from foreign sources. The DEA says that U.S. Customs in 2010 has intercepted multiple shipments of two of the drugs, including one shipment of over 50 kilograms.

For more information on K2, Spice, and other "legal highs," see WebMD's FAQ.

DEA outlaws chemicals used to make synthetic marijuana

The DEA has taken emergency action to outlaw chemicals used to make synthetic marijuana, meaning it will be illegal to possess or sell them in the U.S. for at least one year, until further action is taken.

The chemicals used to make "fake pot" products, also known as K2, will be studied by the Department of Health and Human Services to determine whether the chemicals and the products should be permanently controlled, the DEA said.

"Over the past year, smokable herbal blends marketed as being 'legal' and providing a marijuana-like high, have become increasingly popular, particularly among teens and young adults," the DEA said in a statement."These products consist of plant material that has been coated with research chemicals that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and are sold at a variety of retail outlets, in head shops and over the Internet. These chemicals, however, have not been approved by the FDA for human consumption, and there is no oversight of the manufacturing process."

Michigan Makes Synthetic Pot Illegal

Michigan has outlawed synthetic marijuana, the Grand Rapids Press reported Oct. 1.

Banned in parts of Europe, synthetic cannabinoids are sold as a mixture of spices and herbs under a variety of names, such as "K2," "Spice," and "Mr. Smiley." Users smoke the mixture in joints or pipes for a marijuana-like high.

Made primarily in China and Korea, the mixtures are sprayed with a synthetic compound similar to marijuana's psychoactive ingredient, THC. There had not been restrictions on their use in most of the United States until recently.

Although there is not a lot of research on K2, medical experts have been concerned by its link to increased heart rate, symptoms similar to schizophrenia, and to paralysis.

The Michigan law makes possession or use of K2 a misdemeanor.

The Drug-Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County is urging legislators to create and vote on a bill that would be similar to the law passed in Michigan. Currently Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County have all passed spice bans in the past few months. The ban encompasses the sale and possession of synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as spice. The ban makes infractions a civil offense punishable by a fine of $250.