subject: Feds move to outlaw synthetic marijuana ,K2 , Chimp-Dizzle [print this page] Feds move to outlaw synthetic marijuana ,K2 , Chimp-Dizzle
Feds move to outlaw synthetic marijuana
Sellers of synthetic marijuana tout how their product gives users the same "high" as the real thing. Well, it appears it will soon be just as illegal to use, too.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is using its emergency powers to temporarily control five chemicals used to make "fake pot" products. Fifteen states have already taken action to control one or more of these chemicals. Minnesota is not among them.
The DEA's action makes possessing and selling these chemicals or the products that contain them illegal in the U.S. for at least one year.
In that time, the DEA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will study whether these chemicals and products should be permanently controlled.
Over the past year, smokable herbal blends marketed as legal and providing a marijuana-like high, have become increasingly popular, particularly among teens and young adults. These products consist of plant material that has been coated with research chemicals that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and are sold in head shops and over the Internet. These chemicals, however, have not been approved by the FDA for human consumption and there is no oversight of the manufacturing process.
Brands such as "Spice," "K2," "Blaze," "Chimp- Dizzle " and "Red X Dawn" are labeled as incense to mask their intended purpose.
According to the DEA, officials on Wednesday published a Notice of Intent to Temporarily Control in the Federal Register to alert the public. After 30 days, the DEA will publish in the Federal Register a final rule to control the chemicals for at least 12 months -- with the possibility of a six-month extension.
They will be designated as Schedule I substances, the most restrictive category, which is reserved for unsafe, highly abused substances with no medical purpose.
"The American public looks to the DEA to protect its children and communities from those who would exploit them for their own gain," said DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart.
