NEW DRUG ALARMS OFFICIALS

Made Of Plant Synthetic Matter

A drug-laced herbal concoction sold as incense that reportedly mimics
the highs induced by marijuana has become popular among narcotics
users in some regions of the country and is making serious inroads in
Massachusetts.

"This looks like it's going to be the latest designer drug," said Dr.
Christopher D. Rosenbaum, who specializes in emergency medicine and
toxicology at the University Campus of UMass Memorial Medical Center
in Worcester. "What's disturbing is that it's a mixture of plant and
synthetic materials and people who use it don't know exactly what
they're smoking."

New England law enforcement officials are becoming increasingly aware
and alarmed about the popularity of K2, one brand of the drug, and
its offshoots. They said there is nothing they can do to crack down
on them, because the substances -- though spliced with drugs -- are
not illegal under U.S. law.

While there are no federal statutes prohibiting K2, about a dozen
states have either banned or are seeking to ban the drug, which has
been blamed for the death of an Iowa teen. Missouri was the latest
state to outlaw its use.

Locally, the Worcester City Council on Tuesday will be asked to
request that the state Legislature ban its sale and distribution.

K2 is often referred to as "fake weed" or "spice," and, according to
medical authorities, causes vomiting, hallucinations, aggressiveness
and other symptoms. The compound can be made of spices, herbs and
vegetative matter and is sprayed with a chemical similar to THC, the
psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

It may be purchased on the Internet and, in some areas of the nation,
it can be bought from tobacconists and at head shops, gas stations
and convenience stores. The drug is sold as potpourri, incense, air
freshener or even bath salts and costs about $35 for 3 grams. The
product can be rolled up in joints or smoked from pipes.

Police believe that most local users are buying the substance online.

K2, which is also sold under the brand names Genie, Zohai, Demon,
Skunk, Sence, Mister Smiley and Yucatan Fire, was not found at a
number of Worcester commercial establishments that the Sunday
Telegram surveyed.

Officials believe the use of K2 first became widespread in Missouri.
It then crept into adjoining states. before moving into other regions
because of its availability over the computer.

In portions of the Midwest and Deep South, the substance is even
available in some bait and tackle shops.

Dr. Anthony J. Scalzo, professor of pediatrics and internal medicine
and director of the Division of Toxicology at St. Louis University
School of Medicine, believes K2 and its variants are dangerous,
because they generate a very fast heartbeat and elevated blood pressure.

Dr. Scalzo, who is also an emergency room physician, is credited with
picking up on the increasing use of K2 as a drug. In November, he
noticed a number of patients complaining of paranoia, hallucinations
and agitation. One of them, a 14-year-old with no history of suicidal
tendencies, tried to jump out of a five-story window.

Dr. Scalzo said he believes K2 greatly impacts the cardiovascular
system and acts more like stimulants such as amphetamines.

"It's interesting because the impact of K2 on the body is a lot
different than the effects of marijuana, which usually have more of a
mellowing impact," he said.

Dr. Scalzo, who also serves as medical director of the Missouri
Poison Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center,
noted that marijuana users usually experience sleepiness, lower blood
pressure and a feeling of relaxation.

After personally logging a number of K2 cases, Dr. Scalzo began to
call some of his colleagues around the country to see if they were
seeing a similar trend. Hundreds of cases have since been reported.
Dr. Scalzo said a St. Louis convenience store proprietor reported he
sold about $7,000 worth of the substance in a day.

Echoing Dr. Rosenbaum's sentiments, Dr. Scalzo warned K2 users to be
wary, because buyers do not know exactly what is in the drug packets,
or the strength of the ingredients.

"It's buyer beware," he said. "These drugs are dangerous because they
are so unpredictable."

Dr. Rosenbaum said UMass Memorial treated a teen about a year and
half ago who became seriously ill after using the drug.

"We haven't seen a lot of it yet," said Dr. Rosenbaum. "But it's out
there and it's on our radar."

He said the drug is particularly popular with the younger crowd, with
users as young as middle-school-age students.

Dr. Rosenbaum said there is no test for the drug. He believes it
could become the narcotic of choice for those serving in the
military, or in occupations in which drug testing is routinely conducted.

Area and state police said they had heard about K2 but don't know
much about it.

"We haven't yet had a lot of interaction with police about the drug,"
said Timothy J. Connolly, a spokesman for Worcester District Attorney
Joseph D. Early Jr.

Trooper Sean Lewis, a member of the state police media staff, said he
believed the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was examining the
issue in depth and looking at possible trends. DEA officials could
not be reached for comment.

"We need to start a serious discussion about this drug to find out
how widespread it is," said William T. Breault, chairman of the Main
South Alliance for Public Safety, who filed a petition asking the
City Council to take action. "I'm worried about this drug because
it's so easy to get."

State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, who is vice chairman of the
Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, said he
thinks Massachusetts lawmakers would be receptive to banning the
substance, given the overall toll of drugs on the state.

He noted, for example, that one study showed that opiate addiction
alone cost Massachusetts about $300 million annually.

"This K2 drug looks like it's going to cause problems," said Mr.
Brewer. "Any kid can get it over the Internet, and drug users are
going to love it because there's no test for it."

The chemical elements of K2 were concocted in the mid-1990s in the
lab of a Clemson University organic chemist who studies the effects
of cannabinoids on brain receptors. It's assumed that the recipe was
picked up from a subsequent research paper that contained the
ingredients and production process.

Law enforcement officials believe that K2 was first smoked as a
recreational drug in Europe, where it is now banned in a number of countries.