'SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA' CHEMICALS BAN

SAN FRANCISCO -- Reacting to what it called complaints from law
enforcement and a surge in medical emergencies, the Drug Enforcement
Administration said on Wednesday that it would ban several chemicals
used to make so-called synthetic marijuana products, which resemble
herbs or potpourri but mimic the effects of the drug when smoked.

In a notice published in the Federal Register, the agency said it
would use its emergency powers to ban possession and sale of five
synthetic cannaboids whose effects mirror that of
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which gives marijuana its potency.
Those chemicals are used to coat a variety of products which are
marketed as incense, but have become popular as smokables for those
seeking a legal high.

Under the action, the five cannaboids will be listed as Schedule I
substances, the most restrictive category, for at least a year while
the government studies whether they should be permanently banned.

The temporary action will take at least 30 days to take effect,
meaning the products will not immediately be illegal. But on
Wednesday, the acting agency administrator, Michele M. Leonhart, made
it clear that she believes they are an imminent public safety threat.

"Makers of these harmful products mislead their customers into
thinking that 'fake pot' is a harmless alternative to illegal drugs,
but that is not the case," she said in a statement.

The products, which began to appear in the United States in 2008, are
sold in smoke shops and online under names like K2, Blue Dragon and
Black Mamba Spice, and are marked with warnings saying "not intended
for human consumption." But according to the drug agency, those
warnings are being ignored, leading to a variety of bad reactions,
including agitation, vomiting, seizures and hallucinations.

Tony Newman, a spokesman for the Drug Policy Alliance, which seeks to
liberalize the drug laws, said the ban seemed to be the wrong approach.

"The D.E.A. says that prohibiting synthetic marijuana will 'control'
it -- yet we know from history that prohibition is the complete
opposite of drug control," Mr. Newman said, adding that regulating
and setting age limits would be a better approach than "relegating it
to the black market."

Fifteen states have sought to control the THC-like chemicals, the
drug agency said. But the products are still easily available; one
online retailer on Wednesday was advertising Blue Dragon as "perfect
for someone who gets drug tested and doesn't want to test positive."
And, on Polk Street in San Francisco a packet of three grams of K2
was bought for $25.