SUPERIOR CONSIDERS BAN ON SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA, DRUGS

Speed is going to be of the essence when the city of Superior plunges
ahead with a synthetic drug ordinance of its own, according to
Superior Mayor Dave Ross.

Speed is going to be of the essence when the city of Superior plunges
ahead with a synthetic drug ordinance of its own, according to
Superior Mayor Dave Ross.

Ross said after meeting Tuesday with a synthetic marijuana distributor
who wants to set up shop in Superior, he plans to expedite efforts to
get the ordinance to the council next week.

It is a ban the city has been working on for a little while, Ross
said. However, he said, his goal is to make it a more comprehensive
ordinance than the one adopted by the Duluth City Council on Monday
night.

"We need to close the window quickly," Ross said. "I don't view this
as economic development. I view it as a threat to the city."

Ross said that in discussing the issue with the synthetic marijuana
distributor, he was told there are a variety of synthetic drug
formulations that mimic other drugs such as acid and crack, and other
illegal drugs that pose a greater risk to users.

Superior Police Chief Floyd Peters said that many times laws are
written to address specific aspects of drugs and someone in a lab will
change the makeup of a drug to get around the law. He said among his
goals is to inform and educate the public about the dangers of
synthetic drugs.

Peters said Superior's ordinance is being modeled after one in Eau
Claire, Wis. In July, the Eau Claire City Council adopted the ban.

The mayor said his goal is to develop a comprehensive ordinance that
doesn't leave any loopholes. While Superior city officials had looked
at Duluth's ordinance, Ross said it didn't go far enough.

"I fully expect the states [Minnesota and Wisconsin] to ban these
drugs, but we're going to be very aggressive to make sure they're not
sold in Superior," Ross said. "We're going to take every step to
protect the community."