LAWMAKER PROPOSING INCENSE BAN

A Kansas lawmaker on Monday will announce his plans for legislation
that would ban incense that some say produce a marijuana-like high
when smoked.

Rep. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, said in a Sunday news release he will
introduce a bill this session that would "address concerns regarding
the use of unregulated synthetic drugs in Kansas, in particular two
found in a smoke-able herbal product known as K2."

"The two chemicals named JWH-018 and JWH-073 are very similar to
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical in marijuana that gives a
user his high," the release said.

Olson will discuss his proposal during a Monday news conference at
the Statehouse.

The products are currently legal in the state and sold in a variety
of blends that deliver a flowery aroma when burned. Law enforcement
officials, however, say some manufacturers are lacing incense with
synthetic compounds that mimic marijuana when ingested or smoked.