Category: K2 Incense News Archive June

— The state Senate gave final approval Wednesday to legislation banning so-called bath salts, synthetic marijuana, for example k2 incense, and the hallucinogenic plant known as salvia divinorum.

The 50-member chamber voted unanimously to outlaw the substances, which are now legal and easily available for a cheap high. Gov. Tom Corbett, a former state attorney general, will sign the bill when it reaches his desk, an administration spokesman said.

“We need to get this off the streets and out of our communities,” said Sen. Elisabeth Baker, R-Luzerne, echoing the sentiments of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as the Senate voted.

Not to be confused with the sweet-smelling concoctions at the mall, the bath salts lawmakers moved to prohibit resemble baking soda and are typically sold at convenience stores, head shops and on the Internet. A single dose can cost as little as $20.

Law enforcement officials and legislators in states from Maryland to Illinois are moving to clamp down on bath salts, which mimic the effects of methamphetamine and cocaine. Several states — including Minnesota, North Dakota, Florida and Louisiana — have banned their sale.

“People don’t initially realize how damaging this drug is. They think of bath salts, they think of something you pour into the tub,” said Sen. Patricia Vance, R-Cumberland, a former nurse. “People’s personalities change. … People don’t realize the horrible things it can do.”

The bill the Senate approved Wednesday bans the substances and the chemical compounds they contain. Penalties for sale and possession will be addressed in separate legislation, said Sen. Elder Vogel, R-Lawrence, who sponsored the bill.

Penalties probably will range from probation for casual users to several years in jail for dealers.

Synthetic marijuana is banned in 17 states, said Rep. Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh, who shepherded the fake pot bill through the House. The substance, sold under the brand names of “K2 incense” and “Spice,” has also been outlawed by colleges and military organizations, she said.

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Synthetic marijuana is one signature away from being banned in Wisconsin.

A bill banning the substance passed the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly last week and is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Scott Walker.

The statewide measure came about four months after the city of Reedsburg failed to ban the substance, often called K2 incense, which mimics the effects of marijuana and can be dangerous.

The local Ordinance Committee voted against enacting a local ordinance by 3-2 vote on Feb. 28.

Russ Ziegler, a citizen member of the committee at that time, said in February that he didn’t believe the city should enact an ordinance stricter than state laws concerning controlled substances; he was one of the three who voted against it.

Police Chief Tim Becker wanted the committee to consider the ordinance again at a meeting earlier this week, because two of the five members are new.

But when the Senate and Assembly passed a similar bill last Wednesday, Becker said it made more sense to simply wait for Walker’s signature than to go through the multi-week process locally.

“It’s not as comprehensive as ours, but I think it’ll do the job,” Becker said of the state act.

Alderman Dave Knudsen, who still serves on the Ordinance Committee, argued in February that it would be too difficult to enforce an ordinance that prohibits the possession, sale and use of a substance that it had no way of detecting.

The act would ban the possession of synthetic marijuana, commonly referred to as K-2 incense or spice. Although selling it wouldn’t necessarily be illegal, possession would be, so stores wouldn’t be allowed to carry it.

K-2 incense is currently sold in some novelty stores, including one in Sauk County.

“The big thing is to keep it out of stores,” Becker said. “The less it’s offered, the less we’ll see it.”

Once the act is signed into state law, Becker said, the Reedsburg Ordinance Committee will likely consider adopting it into its own ordinance book so that local police can handle first-time offenders. That state act currently lists a maximum fine of $1,000, up to six months in prison, or both for first-time synthetic marijuana offenders.

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SAN DIEGO — The Drug Enforcement Administration and local lawmakers held a news conference Friday that outlined the effort to ban products known as synthetic drugs. According to authorities, the use of synthetic drugs among middle and high school students is on the rise. Teens are smoking and ingesting products that are advertised as bath salts, plant food or k2 incense, and authorities said the only problem is those products mimic the effects of marijuana and cocaine.They’re advertised as harmless incense or bath salts and even say they are not to be ingested on the packaging. However, nine people died in the U.S. last year after smoking or ingesting the products.

It scares me that my friends could be doing it,” said 12-year-old Chula Vista resident Victoria Cardin.Victoria said she didn’t know about the drugs — which are manufactured, not grown — until her mother learned about them on the Internet.”I was like, ‘Wait a minute. Where does this come from?’” said Eliza Bodie-Cardin, Victoria’s mother.A 10News I-Team undercover investigation in 2010 revealed the products were sold in several San Diego liquor stores and gas stations. The sales were legal, and undercover producers bought one gram of “k2 incense” for $20 — a price some would consider steep for one gram of incense.”You’re selling a product that costs $80 and it’s a bath salt?” questioned state Assemblyman Ben Hueso, a Democrat from the 79th District. A recent Internet search for the most expensive legitimate bath salt at retailer Bed Bath & Beyond found a package for $19.99. “There’s no doubt that they’re drugs, that they’re harmful, and there’s not doubt that they should not be in our communities accessible to our children,” said Hueso.Hueso said he is working on legislation that would completely ban the products, which are often called Spice or K2 incense. Previous legislation outlawed five types of “spice,” but some manufacturers altered the chemical makeup of their product to circumvent the law, 10News learned.

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