Lawmakers are incensed
The newest manifestation of Reefer Madness surrounds something called “K2″ or “spice,” masquerading as a mild-mannered herb at your local Don’t Call Us A Head Shop. Apparently it contains synthetic cannabinoids:
It turns out Spice contains the synthetic substance JWH-018, which is incredibly similar to the main active component of marijuana. Although sold legally in many countries, governments around the world are lining up to put the kibosh on the Spice party.
Spice has been on the market since 2002, but it wasn’t until December of last year that German pharmaceutical company TCHPharm announced JWH-018 was found as one of the active components in at least three versions of Spice. On January 19th, the University of Freiburg in Germany announced the other main active substance in Spice is an analog of the synthetic cannabinoid CP 47,497. Three days later the German government added CP 47,497 to its controlled drug schedule, making Spice illegal. Austria, France and Poland were quick to follow.
Oklahoma drug authorities apparently discovered the stuff just this month, and already there’s a bill to ban it:
K2 is the Kansas brand of manufactured marijuana. Kansas police officers first learned of the synthetic form of pot this past fall. It’s legally sold as incense and undetectable on a basic drug test. Marketed as “spice” in Europe, it produces the same high as regular marijuana, and now it’s spreading in the states.
On Wednesday, HB 3241 passed out of committee unanimously at the state capitol. Just like Kansas[' bill], the Oklahoma bill bans K2 placing it in the same category as other drugs such as meth, marijuana, and cocaine. Representative David Derby is sponsoring the bill.
“This allows our law enforcement another tool to combat this problem, and it allows our court systems an avenue to charge people,” he said.
Which is, after all, the highest purpose of government: to find avenues to charge people.
Brian J. »
28 February 2010 · 7:09 am
It’s recently a big deal up here in Springfield, too, but I expect that it’s no surprise. Down here in SW MO we have easy access to cheap OKK2.
fillyjonk »
28 February 2010 · 3:34 pm
One of my colleagues, a microbiologist, once commented that after observing her lab students do serial dilutions, she would never have Botox done.
Even if I wanted to take drugs (and my brain goes to enough strange places “unenhanced”), having seen the chem-lab techniques of a number of individuals, I’d definitely not take something somebody just happened to cook up following some recipe off the internet…
Though I will say the Dune tie-in probably is fueling the Master’s Thesis of someone in Popular Cultural studies…