BAN SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA

Smoking something that was once more commonly known as potpourri or
incense obviously should not sound too great; however, recently
certain "incense" has obtained a new name -- synthetic marijuana. This
has created quite the controversy.

Going into a gas station to pay for my gas, the last thing I expected
to see was a sale on synthetic marijuana. This stopped me abruptly in
my tracks. Why should something like this be legal when real marijuana
is not? The answer here should be very simple.

This product is known to cause rapid heart rates, high blood pressure
and seizures. Also, no long-term effects are known, and it is even
labeled "Not for human consumption." Chemical-containing products
should never be ingested, especially when a label is provided stating
that.

I believe that Illinois should join the ban with other states and make
not only certain synthetic marijuanas illegal, but also all the
chemicals that are used in the making of the product. People are
always going to try and test the limits of the law. If we remove
certain chemicals used in the making, we may not subdue the synthetic
drug completely but we could substantially decrease the production.

The DEA has already banned K2, although that is not stopping others
from manipulating the package to spell out a different name. People
look at the different name and think it is a different product. The
fact of the matter is, it was once incense and is now laced with
harmful chemicals that should be made illegal to keep synthetic
marijuana off the streets and out of the hands of our future children!

Ceara Brazel

Litchfield