MORGANTON —
Narcotics officers scoured the county for a slew of recently criminalized drugs, finding a cache of the illicit substances in an unnamed store.
The newly-banned chemicals are sold under innocuous-sounding names — bath salts and K2 — with brand names that are equally unalarming, such as White Rhino, Mr. Nice Guy and Super Kush. They even brand themselves as incense with warning labels advising customers they are not for human consumption.
Three people in Rutherford County followed the “White Rabbit” on Tuesday evening. A Murfreesboro couple did the prior week. They followed it straight to the emergency room.
Law enforcement and legislators remain locked in a battle against synthetic drugs — lab-created substances that mimic the effects of traditional illicit drugs. They are marketed as incense, bath salts or plant food but produce effects similar to cocaine, marijuana or Ecstasy. Last year, legislators banned certain synthetic marijuana products marketed as incense with names such as “K2” or “K3.” Dubious chemists answered by creating new products with names such as “White Rabbit” and “Vampire Blood” that contain different ingredients not yet banned by Tennessee law.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It is now illegal to sell or possess synthetic drugs in Kansas.
The Hutchinson News reported Saturday that a law prohibiting the drugs known as “potpourri,” ”incense” and “bath salts” took effect in Kansas this week.