K2 Incense Information

Category: K2 Incense News Archive June

  • Designer drugs evolve faster than laws to restrict them

    INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – In the summer of 2010, a new designer drug hit central Indiana. It was called K2 incense or Spice. It was marketed as incense, but it contained a mixture of herbs that had been sprayed with lab-created chemicals that mimicked a marijuana-like high.

    Then an even harsher drug hit convenience stores in Indiana: bath salts. They are being sold under a variety of names, including Ivory Wave,Tranquility, Blue Silk and Ocean Snow, among others. One Greenfield woman recently arrested in connection with thefts police say her drug habit compelled her to commit, called it Rave On.

    “If you just took [cocaine] and Rave On, I would do Rave On because it’s like two of the hardest drugs mixed together, and it’s a lot more intense then just cocaine” said 18-year old Amber Eckler. She and five friends were arrested this week for a number of break-ins in the area. Police said they used the money they got from selling the stolen property to support their addiction.

    Starting July 1, the chemical compounds that make up “synthetic drugs will be illegal in Indiana. The Indiana Legislature passed a 22-page bill banning the substances. Four of those 22 pages are filled with just the names of chemical compounds.

    “Some of what’s going on is folks are reading research literature and published papers, and they’re pulling these psychoactive compounds and manufacturing it,” said Nancy Beals, Prevention Project coordinator for the organization Drug Free Marion County.

    The concept sounds far-fetched, but it happened to Dr. Dave Nichols, a professor of Pharmacology at Purdue University. Underground chemists are copying the chemical compounds he’s published for drugs that treat Parkinson’s and depression, and they’re using them to create designer street drugs. With their understanding of chemistry, they can manipulate the specific chemical formulations, too, in response to legal efforts to stop them.

    “As they shift the chemical composition, the state legislature is going to be running to keep up with it,” Beals said.

    For example, he said, a compound called K4 is already being created in Europe, similar to K2 incense, but with a different chemical makeup that would skirt the legislation that goes into affect July 1.

    As far as enforcement of the new law, Attorney General Greg Zoeller called the law “a moving target.”

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  • State’s Attorney Brant warns against K2 incense use

    Flora, Ill. —

    Clay County State’s Attorney Marilyn Brant is issuing a strong warning to the public that products marketed as K2 incense, or substances similar to K2 incense are extremely dangerous and may be lethal.  These products are being used in Clay County, and the chemicals are suspected to be the cause of the collapse and hospitalization of a Clay County youth recently.

    Victims lose consciousness and become unresponsive in a coma-like state.  The victim survived and is recovering, but this could easily have been fatal.

    K2 incense is a synthetic substance that, when smoked, has an effect similar to marijuana.  K2 incense and K2 incense substitutes, such as “bath salts,” are smoked, injected, or snorted to gain a “high.”  They are marketed over the internet as “potpourri” or are sometimes offered as a retail item in certain establishments, like bars or liquor stores.    Any charge involving the possession of delivery of K2 incense is a felony charge.

    Parents are urged to pay attention to the products their children bring into the home.  If a boy is bringing poupourri or bath salts into the home, that may be a red flag that you should inquire further. These products are marketed over the internet, so if your child is receiving mail-ordered bath salts or poupourri, this is a very serious situation and you may wish to turn the products over to law enforcement officers for testing and/or disposal.

    State’s Attorney Brant emphasizes that these products are extremely dangerous, and can potentially be fatal.  Perhaps the best course of action is to be pro-active, destroy any suspicious products, and have a serious discussion with your child about K2 and its substitutes.

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  • Sen. Bob Casey Applauds Pennsylvania’s Ban on Bath Salts

    U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement in response to Pennsylvania’s enactment of a ban on so-called “bath salts”:

    “I applaud the Governor and the Pennsylvania legislature today for enacting a ban on dangerous so-called ‘bath salts.’ This is a critical step to protect our communities, and I am disappointed that Washington has not moved with similar speed to pass a national ban. Earlier this year, I endorsed the Combating Dangerous Synthetic Stimulants Act. It is time to enact that legislation. In addition, the DEA should also use its authority to take these drugs off the streets. This is a grave threat to our communities, and the time for action is now.”

    Senator Casey is a cosponsor of The Combating Dangerous Synthetic Stimulants Act (S.409) which would immediately add the ingredients in bath salts to the list of controlled substances.

    In March, Senator Casey urged the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to use its authority to temporarily ban the chemicals in so-called ‘bath salts’ to immediately take the dangerous drugs off the streets. In a letter to DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart, Senator Casey pointed to recent DEA action to ban synthetic marijuana as precedent to take immediate action against the drugs in bath salts. Senator Casey also supports legislation to give the DEA more flexibility to quickly remove dangerous substances from the market.

    The Dangerous Synthetic Drug Control Act of 2011 (S. 605) would amend the Controlled Substances Act, doubling the timeframe the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services have to emergency schedule substances from 18 months to 36 months. This will allow for dangerous substances to be quickly removed from the market while being studied for permanent scheduling.