BILL AIMS TO PROHIBIT POTENT SUBSTANCES

A public hearing will be held Wednesday on proposed legislation that
could pull two potent but legal substances from local stores,
following a prohibition trend that is sweeping legislatures nationwide.

If passed, Bill 396 would outlaw salvia divinorum and the chemicals
that create "Spice" both which can be bought in Tumon stores. At
least three adult entertainment stores had salvia for sale on
Saturday and one had previously sold "spice" but was sold out.

Store owners declined to be interviewed about either substances.

Sen. Frank Blas Jr., who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Adolpho
Palacios, said Friday that these substances mimic the potentially
harmful effects of some illegal drugs. Both Blas and Palacios are
former police officers.

Blas, who also served as Gov. Felix Camacho's Homeland Security
adviser, said illegal drugs often evolve into new forms, which are
sometimes different enough from their original source to be legal
again, until someone makes them illegal, restarting the cycle.

Lawmakers can't fall far behind the trends, especially since the use
of these new drugs is already growing, he said.

"As soon as the word spread about the proposed legislation, I've been
receiving calls from people thanking me for starting to deal with
it," Blas said. "Because the kids already know about it. You've got
to stay on top of this stuff."

Lawmakers on Guam are tackling both drugs with one bill, but salvia
and "spice" are very different.

Salvia

Salvia divinorum, which is often called just salvia, is an herb that
creates vivid but brief hallucinations, according to the Drug
Enforcement Administration website.

The federal government has placed no restriction on the substance,
but is still studying its effects. Powerful hallucinations pose an
obvious danger, but longer term side effects are unclear, the DEA
website states.

Blas said he believes the federal agency will eventually ban the
substance, and if his Bill 396 becomes law before then, Guam will
just be ahead of the curve.

But not that far ahead.

At least 21 states have already passed laws to regulate salvia, and
restrictions run the gamut from forbidding sale to minors to outright
bans, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures website.

These laws have sprung up since 2006, after parents and critics
credited the drug with the suicide of a 17-year-old user in Delaware.

Brett Chidester's suicide note described revelations that echoed
descriptions of the drug's effects on salvia websites, according to a
USA Today article. Chidester had recently bought the drug online,
the article states.

Despite this, the drug is still readily available on Guam. Salvia
could be bought easily at three stores in Tumon on Saturday.

Prices range from $20 to $50, depending on strength. One $50 package
that promised to set the standards for potency also warned that the
drug was "very, very powerful," and should not be sold to minors.

Bill 396 would make it illegal to possess any part of a salvia plant,
including seeds or extracts.

'Spice'

Another legal substance sometimes called "Spice" is neither as common
as salvia, nor as regulated.

This is one brand name of a variety of drug products, which mimic the
effects of marijuana using a synthetic chemical sprayed on a plant.
The drug is also sometimes called K2, according to USA Today.

Blas said some studies suggest this artificial replicate can be even
more powerful than actual marijuana.

If passed, Bill 396 would outlaw three of the chemicals that can be
used to make "Spice" -- HU-210, JWH-018 and JWH-073. The first of
these chemicals is listed as a controlled substance on the DEA
website, and the other two are not, although all are considered
"drugs of concern."

And local lawmakers would not be the first to outlaw this substance.

According to a USA Today article published this month, Kansas banned
the drug March 10. Kentucky followed April 13. And Alabama's ban
takes effect July 1.

Lawmakers in Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee have passed regulations
and at least five other states are considering similar bills. There
are two other synthetics chemicals the DEA states can be used to make
"Spice" that aren't included in Bill 396.

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WHAT IS "SPICE?"

"Spice" is one of the names for a variety of products that apply
synthetic chemicals to plant life to create legal drug that mimics
the effects of marijuana.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, these chemicals --
HU-219, JWH-018 and JWH-073 -- are more common in European countries
but have more recently been found in drug mixtures in Ohio and
Florida. "Spice" is not regulated in the United States, but is a
"drug of concern," the DEA website states.

Laws on "Spice"

Restrictions on spice have recently been passed in some mainland
states and more are pending in other states, according to an USA
TODAY article published in May. The drug is sometimes known as K2.

ABOUT THE BILL

Bill 396 would make Salvia divinorum and the three chemicals that
create the drug "Spice" illegal. Both of these legal drugs can
currently be bought in local stores, but both mimic the effects of
illegal drugs.

IF YOU GO

What: Public hearing on Bill 396

Where: Legislature public hearing room

When: Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.

WHAT IS SALVIA?

Salvia divinorum or Salvinorum A is a perennial herb native to parts
of Mexico which has hallucinogenic effects when consumed, smoked or
drank through tea.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, street names
include Maria Pastora, Sage of the Seers, Diviner's Sage, Sally-D,
and Magic Mint. The drug is still being studied by the DEA, who have
not placed any restrictions on it to date, but note that
hallucinations can be dangerous.

Laws on Salvia

According to the National Conference on State Legislatures, about 21
states have passed laws restricting salvia.

States like California and Maine have made it illegal to sell salvia
to a minor, but still legal for adults. In Maryland you can use it if
you are 21 or older.

States like Minnesota, Tennessee and West Virginia have made
possession or sale of salvia a misdemeanor.

States like Nebraska, Ohio and Oklahoma have listed salvia as a
schedule 1 substance, which means it can lead to similar charges as marijuana.