SYNTHETIC POT FACING BAN

Marijuana-Like 'Spice,' Now Legal In AZ, May Be Off US Shelves Soon

Federal authorities are planning to ban some of the chemicals found in
a legal substance that they say, when smoked, gives a high similar to
marijuana's but is potentially more dangerous.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued the 30-day notice of
its intent to temporarily place five chemicals commonly found in
synthetic marijuana - also known as "spice," "K2" and fake weed - into
the same category as heroin and marijuana. The ban could go into
effect as early as Christmas.

Synthetic marijuana is sold legally in smoke shops and online as
herbal incense, but it has gained popularity among young people who
smoke the product. These synthetic cannabinoids were developed in the
last 30 years for research purposes and have not been approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration for human consumption, according to
the DEA.

Despite disclaimers on the products that they are not intended for
human consumption, manufacturers and retailers play up the fact that
their use can't be detected on urine drug tests, the DEA said. It's
when people smoke these herbs that officials have seen problems.

"People are using it to get high; this is not something that people
are putting on a plate and setting a match to," Barbara Carreno, a DEA
spokeswoman, said in reference to the products being marketed as incense.

Some of the effects reported when people smoke these substances
include anxiety, vomiting, high blood pressure, seizures,
hallucinations and non-responsiveness, according to the DEA.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers has received about
2,000 calls nationwide relating to products spiked with these
chemicals this year, Carreno said.

The products containing these THC-like synthetics are marketed as
legal alternatives to marijuana. THC is the main active chemical in
real marijuana that causes the "high" for users.

Popular Product

Synthetic marijuana has become a top seller at many Tucson smoke
shops.

Michael Atyani, owner of Sky Smoke Shop, 247 W. Grant Road, said the
herbal packets are a popular item at his shop.

"Everybody is buying it," Atyani said. "It's not the most-sold item,
but it's a main item here."

Atyani said he had not received a formal notice from the DEA but had
heard about the upcoming change in the law a couple of weeks ago.
That's when he stopped ordering the synthetic marijuana and reduced
the price of his current inventory to make sure it's all sold before a
ban takes effect.

"We sell the product, but it's up to the person buying to go do what
they want with it," Atyani said. "But when the DEA puts their hands on
something, it's the law, and it's a big deal, so that's why I didn't
order more."

Another local smoke shop owner also said synthetic marijuana was a hot
item in his shop.

Karl Young, co-owner of Enhale Smoke Shop, 3457 E. Speedway, said his
shop has been open for only a month, and already he saw a demand for
these items.

Young sells more than a dozen types of synthetic pot, ranging in price
from $10 to $45. He has discounted the prices, hoping to sell out of
it before the DEA begins enforcing the ban. On Nov. 24, the DEA issued
the notice to outlaw the chemicals, citing health problems nationwide.

Ironically, as synthetic marijuana will become illegal, medical
marijuana will be legal in Arizona as a result of November's passage
of Proposition 203.

State Rep. Matt Heinz, a Tucson Democrat, is working with other
lawmakers to craft a ban on the same chemicals used in the fake pot,
giving local law enforcement agencies a tool to fight these products.

Heinz hopes lawmakers can pass the bill in January and use an
emergency clause to make the law effective immediately, he said.

"It was basically derived in a lab for study purposes," said Dr. Keith
Boesen, managing director at the Arizona Poison and Drug Information
Center. "The chemicals work on the same sensors and receptors as marijuana."

Locally, the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center has reported
about 40 known cases of people who smoked the synthetic marijuana
since March, Boesen said.

The patients have ranged from 14 to 29 years old, with an average age
of 17 or 18, he said.

Some area school districts are keeping an eye on the popularity of
synthetic weed among students.

Students in the Tucson Unified School District have gotten ahold of
these synthetics in the past year.

Officials have had a few cases involving K2 and spice, said Phil
Mason, a TUSD manager for school safety.

The Vail School District had its first incident last week, when school
officials found the substance in a Cienega High School student's car,
said Assistant Superintendent John Carruth.

Health officials say they are most concerned about the
unpredictability of synthetic marijuana, especially because they don't
know what causes the side effects.

Heinz, the state representative, works at Tucson Medical Center as a
physician and has treated at least two patients who acknowledged
smoking the substance, he said.

He compared the side effects of synthetic marijuana to stroke symptoms
and described the substance as "four to six times more potent than
regular marijuana."

Background On 'Spice'

Several European countries, as well as 15 U.S. states, have banned or
regulate one or more of the synthetic cannabinoids found in "spice"
products.

The substances have been in Europe for years and first became known to
the DEA in November 2008, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection
analyzed "spice" products entering the country. But it wasn't until
this year that the consumption of these products has significantly
increased.

Source: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration