Friday, May 24, 2013
Weather
Synthetic Marijuana: Winning The Battle But Losing The War?Spice is banned throughout the state and country, but head shops have already exploited loopholesRelated ContentSOLDOTNA—Synthetic marijuana may be illegal, but it's not gone. Spice, or K2 (or spike or magic silver), was banned from the streets by the federal government, the Alaska State Legislature and even the Anchorage Assembly.
But now it appears smoke shops have found a way around the law. Last year, lawmakers across the nation and in Alaska waged war against synthetic marijuana.
“It is a synthetic drug made in a test tube, if you will, applied to a plant material to mimic and even marketed as synthetic cannabinoids,” said Orin Dym, forensic laboratory manager for the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory. “Fake marijuana. What it is is a designer drug that has been applied to a plant material so it can be smoked and taken into the body.”
But the battle against the designer drug is far from over.
Unlike the drug it's supposed to mimic, synthetic marijuana can cause erratic behavior and dangerously high blood pressure.
Hundreds across the country and in Anchorage have been hospitalized because of it. The state law against it went into effect less than two months ago.
But now, it's popping up again.
One smoke shop in Soldotna even advertises that the drug is available.
A member of the CBS 11’s Eye Team went in with a hidden camera in to see how a drug that was banned could be advertised and sold.
Here’s how the conversation went:
Eye Team: “I thought you couldn’t sell spice, but obviously…”
Clerk: “What they do is they outlaw ingredients. So they just make new stuff with new ingredients.” Eye Team: “This is like weed, basically, right?”
Clerk: “It's an alternative.”
Spice isn't just being sold on the Kenai Peninsula, however. The Eye Team found it in Anchorage, too.
Sticker labels say the packets do not contain specific chemical compounds that were outlawed. “We're dealing with a material that is easily manipulated and varied,” said Dym.
When lawmakers wrote the laws banning synthetic marijuana, they knew they could be fighting a losing battle. “The bill itself that we passed, we tried to make as broad and inclusive as possible to capture all these harmful chemicals,” said Sen. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage. But it apparently was not broad enough because manufacturers simply changed the formula.
“Everybody is just trying to get caught up with the old product,” Meyer said. “Now, there is a new product out. It is a slippery slope. It is just hard to keep up. Obviously the package says it doesn’t contain the things we outlawed in our bill. Until we can see for sure what is in this synthetic cannabinoids, and what has been removed and what hasn’t, I don’t think we want to do another bill just yet.”
State lawmakers may not have to. Scientists with the state crime lab has been in contact with other labs across the country that have found the stickers may just be another clever marketing tool.
“What they are finding is what a package is labeled, and what they find when they analyze aren’t necessarily the same things,” Dym said. Labs are finding the illegal compounds are still there.
But without extensive testing here, it is impossible to tell whether the outlawed ingredients are still being sold in Alaska. Law enforcement officials said they are busy tackling a resurgence of methamphetamines and ecstasy in Anchorage, which is what's keeping them from going into smoke shops to check for synthetic marijuana compliance.
As for any new legislation against synthetic marijuana, Meyer said he would have the crime lab analyze the new packets when lawmakers head back to Juneau to see if the ingredients are still dangerous. |
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled.
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
|
You have indicated this comment should be removed.
The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .
joe smoke said on Wednesday, Oct 5 at 1:12 AM
this stuff is not marijuana it is bunk science. the only thing similar to this crapola and pot is that it is smoked. it should never have been called synthetic marijuana bacause it is not marijuana. of course it helps keep that evil weed under the scrutiny of the feds when they can label another substance evil and call it pot too.
74792142ThinkAboutIt said on Saturday, Aug 20 at 7:59 AM
Never going to be legalized.... the 'war on drugs' is a necessary fiction to maintain troops throught central and south America... this is merely an extension of the Monroe Doctrine ... grown monstrously out of control.... so don't count on legalization anytime soon... it would be too expensive geopolitcally
72648784akbandit said on Monday, Aug 15 at 12:40 AM
Law enforcement LOVES having new stuff, so they can continue to have a paycheck fighting the 'war on drugs'. What a JOKE!!! Pot will never be legalized because that would put too many Dudley Do-Rights out of work. People get arrested, convicted and sent to jail for growing weed, and do more time than rapists, child molesters, murderers..... what a F'ed up system we have! A guy I used to know well, who was a senior investigator for US Customs and Immigration at a major border crossing, said he would MUCH rather his kids smoke pot than drink alcohol. He said he felt like a total hypocrite doing his job, because he had to bust anyone caught with weed or even 'paraphenalia' like pipes or screens. US law even allowed him to confiscate their vehicle! Talk about a good scam. He told me if he found pot, he just made them flush it and got them out of there. We finally figured out that gay marriage doesn't hurt anyone, when will we allow our brains to embrace the truth about marijuana?
72352231yeahitsmeagain said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 11:43 AM
Legalize weed and you won't have problems with dangeous chemicals. You want your child to smoke something safe and silly or something they can seriously die from? And don't say neither or I'll knock you upside your guillible head with my naive stick. Maybe you prefer they stick to beer and whiskey instead.
72075842dissapointed said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 9:16 AM
what I meant was selling the owners children spice or the legal speed, thats ok right !! its legal
72067039dissapointed said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 9:10 AM
We live in a small community, where a store is allowed to destroy our children and community, how about this ??!! I sell the owner of the store in soldotna a bag of spice or better yet the legal speed the they sell !! its legal right !! so it's ok !!
72066737concerned said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 8:46 AM
what about the legal speed this pothetic store sells in soldotna, is any one concerned with that, it is almost identicle to meth, interesting how a store is alowed to destroy our children
72065222Mac said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 7:10 AM
When will the 'do-gooder' mentality LEAVE the USA? We all seem to think we know what is best for our neighbors, for other nations with different cultures even but I do not see many people in total control of their OWN lives! BUTT OUT, BUSYBODIES! If you outlaw the stuff this garage is supposed to be substituting for, then .. it does not take a PhD to figure out the result. Decrim, regulate, control as much as we want, which should NEVER be alot .. and go on about your little lives. I've never seen such a load of nosey parkers as I have in the last 15 yrs up here ... the FIRST 15 was so mellow, then up came the Lower 48ers with their do-good agendas, and screwed up our peacefulness. GO HOME OR STAY AND SHUT UP.
72059059nicky smalls said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 6:09 AM
as to what kevin said that about if weed were legal children would have greater access to it, bull! stores have to check ID. Ive never once met a drug dealer that asks for ID. I found it alot easier to find pot back in high school then i did alcohol
72055419kr said on Monday, Aug 8 at 8:08 PM
i would rather my old man smoke than drink booze anyday. how many dv s are caused or related to weed and how many are booze related. yep thats how i feel
72039104Weedhead said on Monday, Aug 8 at 7:52 PM
Make weed legal and stop outlawing cannibanoids. It's less dangerous than alcohol and I see plenty of liquor stores on every corner.
72038614john said on Monday, Aug 8 at 7:49 PM
its all bad.we should be focuing on other ways to channel our energy besides drugs. The excuse at the end of the story from law enforcement that they are going after meth and x makes them look even more impotent. SOmeone is making alot of money selling these drugs to people that are bieng tested in the military /etc. we should be finding and punishing those people.
72038508what about? said on Monday, Aug 8 at 6:36 PM
how synthetic cocaine? it is called bath salts. my friends son keeps doing no matter what it does to him. he says it makes him "feel normal and happy." when he starts coming down, he is paranoid. accuses ppl of stuff they didn't even do. he has stuff barricaded in to the door to his attic cause ppl are trying to get in there.all kinds of weird stuff. he threatened to kill himself and the cops found him in his truck on the bridge downtown writing a letter to his sister that had died from a Tylenol overdose in 2004. this bath salt is some no end crap. maybe the TV stations should do a story on that.
72035327c.p. said on Monday, Aug 8 at 6:31 PM
I dont know about you, but with the world the way it is, it's nice to have something to relax with besides alcohol. At least this doesn't cause hangovers. Just make marijuana legal, tax it, make the goverment millions spice goes away and we're all happy right?
72035139Ash Hill said on Monday, Aug 8 at 6:19 PM
What's the big deal!! Why is there a LAW for anything and everything! Would you rather have a drunks running around. What happened to the land of the FREE. Leave people alone.
72034453bob said on Monday, Aug 8 at 6:08 PM
they should legalize marijauna in the AK constitution it is legal to some degree. legalization would put the bad guys out of business just like pro-abition in the 30's. Taxe it regulate it and lets move on
72033864Joe Miller said on Monday, Aug 8 at 6:05 PM
If it is such a high demand legalize it. sincerely, Joe Miller
72033732spice sucks said on Monday, Aug 8 at 5:48 PM
fact is it is not marijuana or anything like it, in fact it sucks when compared to marijuana, which is by the way still legal to have and possess in the privacy of your own homes.come on just legalize pot for personal adult use nationwide and tax it.
72032892concerned said on Monday, Aug 8 at 5:13 PM
Why would someone want to legalize a drug like weed, cocaine, etc? Alcohol is legal but drink and drive, show up to work under the influence and you got problems. Smoking tobacco and snuff (chew) are legal too. Forget about your health if you indulge too much...you'll be talking like Darth Vader. Legalizing drugs of any kind will delude your thinking and pretty much get you fired, what boss wants a druggie as an employee? Keep closing your eyes to real issues. They want us baked so we can't make a difference.
72031049JackSprat said on Monday, Aug 8 at 4:59 PM
Come on people. It wouldn't be such a big deal to smoke it if it were legal. People will eventually stop smoking it because it would be legal and not fun anymore. Having it illegal is the only fun part about smoking it.
72030379Kevin S said on Monday, Aug 8 at 4:48 PM
The kids will have even greater access to marijuana if it is legalized because it won't have to be hidden. It will be far easier to distribute it to minors.
72029939Legalize the real thing said on Monday, Aug 8 at 4:31 PM
If REAL marijuana were legalized and regulated, there would be no market for this poisonous fake stuff. Also there would be no black market and the gangs and cartels would be defunded. Kids couldn't buy it anymore because they would get carded. When was the last time a drug dealer carded somebody?
72029109Add a comment
Most Popular