Category: K2 Incense News Archive June

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. –

As Indiana is about to join more than a dozen states to ban the sale of K2 incense/Spice, AIT Laboratories becomes one of the first reference laboratories in the nation to offer

urine testing for synthetic marijuana, most commonly known as K2/Spice. In February, the company also announced that it was offering blood testing for the two chemicals used to make herbal incense or “fake pot” products: JWH-018 and JWH-073. AIT, an employee-owned company, is an independent reference laboratory specializing in compliance monitoring, forensics, clinical, and pharmaceutical testing.

AIT’s clients, who include medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, and physicians, have asked for this type of testing because of the growing problem nationwide. “Coroners are looking for evidence of what may have caused someone to die, while physicians prescribing pain medications to their patients will use our testing to determine that their patients are not mixing synthetic marijuana with their prescribed pain medications,” said AIT Toxicologist Kevin Shanks, who developed the testing.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved K2 incense/Spice, or any other type of incense, for human consumption. “The effects of using synthetic marijuana can be much more severe compared to THC, and the fact that it is still so readily available is even more of a concern,” said AIT Toxicologist Gene Schwilke, Ph.D. Synthetic marijuana can cause panic attacks, increased paranoia, increased agitation, respiratory issues, severely impaired motor skills, and inhibited cognitive function.

“Developing the assays was a difficult process, but providing both matrices to clients may broaden the window of detecting exposure,” said Shanks.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is currently using its emergency scheduling authority to temporarily control five chemicals (JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47, 497, and cannabicyclohexanol) used to make “fake pot” products. Except as authorized by law, this action will make possessing and selling these chemicals, or products that contain them, illegal in the U.S. for at least one year while the DEA and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) further study whether these chemicals and products should be permanently controlled.

To date, more than a dozen states have already taken action to control one or more of these chemicals and others are considering bills to outlaw the chemicals. The ban in Indiana takes effect on July 1, 2011.

###

About AIT Laboratories:

AIT Laboratories, headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., is an independent reference laboratory that is a premiere testing and research institution recognized nationwide for superior customer service and quality in testing. AIT specializes in compliance testing, forensic toxicology drug testing, clinical laboratory testing, and pharmaceutical testing. The employee-owned company has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the top 5,000 fastest-growing, private companies in the nation for four consecutive years. In 2009, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce named AIT as the “Small Business of The Year.” Learn more about AIT Laboratories at www.AITLabs.com and AIT Bioscience at www.AITBioscience.com. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

It appears Iowa legislators may be poised to establish a state ban on the sale or possession of so-called “synthetic marijuana” sold under brand names like K2 incense and Spice.

Iowans caught with the products would be guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor under provisions inserted into a budget bill Senator Tom Hancock has been working on.

“We wanted this stuff off the shelves,” Hancock says. “We wanted to get rid of it.”

So far this year the House and the Senate have voted to ban these products, but the sticking point has been the penalty.  The House had favored a felony, while the Senate’s voted to make it a misdemeanor to possess synthetic marijuana sold as incense or bath salts.

“To make it a class D felony for a first offense we felt was a little strong,” Hancock says.

Senator Hancock says under the language inserted in a budget bill, a first offense would be an aggravated misdemeanor, but those caught more than once either buying, manufacturing or possessing synethetic marijuna would face tougher penalties.

Synthetic marijuana has officially been criminalized by the state of Alaska. Substances designed to “mimic” the effects of marijuana — but that have reportedly caused “heart attack-like symptoms” for Alaskans — are now considered schedule IIIA controlled substances under state statute; some are also under emergency federal ban by the FDA.

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell has signed into law House Bill 7, to take effect July 7, according to the Associated Press as reported by the Tacoma News-Tribune. The bill was passed by both chambers of the Legislature in April under principle sponsorship of Juneau Republican Rep. Cathy Munoz.

Here’s how synthetic cannabinoids like Spice and K2 incense are described by the state: “The synthetic cannabinoid is a combination of herbal and chemical compounds that commonly produce a reaction similar to the use of marijuana. The popularity is increasing, especially among youth, due to easy accessibility, low cost and the difficulty of detection on drug tests.”

Alaskans caught possessing less than 12 grams of substances like Spice or K2 incense (both recently for sale in Anchorage and Fairbanks smoke shops) will face a misdemeanor. Possession of more than 12 grams becomes a felony, effective next Friday. The bill also criminalizes sale of K2 incense, Spice and other synthetics, often marketed as “incense” at smoke shops.

In an effort to deter do-it-yourself alchemists who’ve experimented with creating mind-altering substances from a mix of potent chemicals, the state outlawed several compounds.

source