No more legal 'Spice' in Idaho? | Local News | Idaho Statesman
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is expected to approve a temporary "Spice" ban by early next week, at which point it will be illegal to sell the popular synthetic substitute for marijuana in Idaho - at least until the Legislature has a chance to decide whether to make the ban permanent.
The Idaho Board of Pharmacy passed a temporary rule Thursday to add Spice - a mixture of herbs sprayed with a synthetic compound similar to the chemical THC found in marijuana - as "schedule one" controlled substance like methamphetamine or cocaine. Spice is sold in dozens of stores in the Treasure Valley.
Once the temporary ban is in place, selling Spice would be a felony, said Jan Atkinson, senior compliance officer for the Board of Pharmacy.
The Legislature, though, will need to define what the possible punishment would be for possessing or consuming Spice, Atkinson said.
The push to ban the substance was led by the Idaho Office of Drug Policy and a coalition of local and state law enforcement officials concerned that Spice could cause serious health problems to unsuspecting teens and young adults.
The federal Drug Enforcement Agency has labeled Spice "a drug of concern" and says it can cause seizures, high blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Spice use is now banned in 11 states.
There are at least a dozen stores in the Treasure Valley that sell Spice, which is also sold under the names K2, Purple Passion, Train Wreck, Genie, Ultra, Summit, Yucatan Gold and more.
Among the businesses in the Treasure Valley selling Spice for $10 to $20 a gram are a mixed martial arts supply store, an incense shop, and a legal document business.
Those retailers argue that the substance is incense - one store owner said Spice was aromatherapy - and clearly marked "not for human consumption." Most retailers contacted by the Statesman also say they refuse to sell Spice to anyone under the age of 18.
Lawyers representing retailers addressed the Board of Pharmacy on Thursday and argued that criminalizing the sale of incense was unfair, Atkinson said.
Police officials say they have been encountering more young adults who freely admit to using the synthetic substance because it was legal.
And despite the bans in several states, some chemists have made slight changes to Spice's chemical formula to get around the prohibitions.
The Board of Pharmacy listed seven different chemical compounds on the temporary rule passed Thursday, which cover most of the known Spice formulas, Atkinson said.
Once Spice is illegal, enforcement will be up to local police agencies.
Boise police are working with the city attorney on interpreting what the ruling means for them.
Patrick Orr: 373-6619
My friends were shocked when I told them they weren't even buying legit k2. There are actually only 4 original k2 blends: K2 Summit, K2 Blonde, K2 Ultra, and K2 Sex. The rest i.e. Rasta, Blue, Strawberry, Peach, amongst a ton of others, are counterfeit. I found a long list here: http://www.k2incense.org. It's knowledge worth passing on if you know anyone who uses this stuff....
ReplyDeleteWhile I doubt that prohibiting Spice will be the answer to problems related to it's use (prohibition has a long history of ineffectiveness), the fact remains that it is indeed banned in this and at least 11 other states so it'd probably be a less-than-good idea to buy it from your site or any other. Still, thanks for stoppin' by. :)
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