SALE OF SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA, NOW LEGAL, SHOULD BE BANNED

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration recently issued a temporary
emergency action order to ban five chemicals used to manufacture a
substance called " synthetic marijuana." Synthetic marijuana is a
legal, yet incredibly dangerous, drug made of plants soaked in harsh
chemicals and marketed directly to teens and young adults.

The DEA is going to use the temporary ban for a one-year study to
determine if these chemicals should be treated the same way as
controlled substances like heroin or cocaine.

Before the ink was dry on that DEA order, some producers of these
dangerous chemicals were already working to change the formula of
their poisons and avoid the ban so they can keep hurting children for
profit.

Because synthetic marijuana is currently legal, young people are being
duped into thinking it's safe. The drug pushers are using chemicals
that have never been approved for human consumption to make kids high
- - and are even using sweeteners and flavors to hide the chemicals and
appeal even more to kids.

Synthetic marijuana is being marketed under names like "Spice," "K2,"
"Blaze" and "Red X Dawn" and labeled as incense to hide the drug's
true purpose. Because it's not a controlled substance, it can be sold
openly on the Internet or in smoke shops.

Yes, shops can sell drugs to kids with less oversight than reputable
stores that sell a pack of cigarettes to an adult.

I don't think we can wait for Washington. I want to treat selling
synthetic marijuana in Pennsylvania like the crime it is and prevent
these drug producers from simply going around a temporary ban on a few
chemicals and targeting our kids.

I was the prime sponsor of legislation that would have banned the sale
or possession of the finished product of synthetic marijuana. The
measure passed the state House 198-1 but was never considered by the
state Senate and the bill expired with the last legislative session on
Dec. 1.

When the House returns to session in January, I'm going to reintroduce
my legislation to ban synthetic marijuana, and I hope you'll contact
your state representative and senator and urge them to support this
effort.

It's disheartening to know that by having to start from scratch in the
next session we're giving drug peddlers extra time to hurt kids. We
have to improve our resolve, redouble our efforts and keep fighting
until synthetic marijuana is treated like the dangerous drug it is.

State Rep. Jennifer Mann represents the 132nd District of
Pennsylvania.