Ice
11-25-2010, 08:19
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/24/fake.pot.ban/index.html?hpt=T2
Feds move to ban chemicals used to make 'fake pot'
Washington (CNN) -- "Fake pot" products that give a marijuana-like high could be illegal in another month as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration takes emergency action to ban chemicals used to make them.
"Over the past year, smokable herbal blends marketed as being 'legal' and providing a marijuana-like high, have become increasingly popular, particularly among teens and young adults," the DEA said in a news release Wednesday.
Synthetic marijuana is made of plant material coated with chemicals that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and are sold at a variety of retail outlets, in head shops that sell drug paraphernalia and over the internet, the DEA said.
"Since 2009, DEA has received an increasing number of reports from poison centers, hospitals and law enforcement regarding these products," the DEA said.
The "fake pot," marketed under brand names including "Spice," "K2," "Blaze" and "Red X Dawn," is often labeled as "incense," White House Drug Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske said.
"Until the risks associated with ingesting these products and chemicals can be studied and understood, there is no place for them on the shelves of any legitimate business," he said.
The emergency ban will be in place for a year as federal officials study whether the products and chemicals should be permanently controlled, it said. Fifteen U.S. states have already taken action to control one or more of the five chemicals used to produce synthetic marijuana.
The ban cannot take effect until at least 30 days after the DEA notice was announced in the Federal Register, which happened Wednesday.
The chemicals, which were used in research, have not been approved for human consumption, and there is no oversight of the manufacturing process, the DEA said.
The five targeted chemicals are identified as JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47497 and cannabicyclohexanol.
I find it funny that DEA believes it can stop this type of behavior by banning the substance in question. This is honestly laughable. They did this with pot and what did creative businessmen decide to do? That's right they took a legal substance and turned it into a very profitable blend that mimicked the effects of marijuana. This blend is currently legal and does not show up a drug screening. So instead of attacking the root of the problem they will continue spinning in circles and wasting taxpayer money fighting a never ending war. I'm going to predict that we will see something similar to substance in question that is being banned, but using slightly altered chemicals thus making it legal. When will these morons learn? Please, pot is not the devil. It is not evil. It does not cause cancer nor does it kill brain cells. It won't make you a drug addict, and is safer that many legal drugs that accepted by society. However, what about the stuff in question? Is it bad for you? I have absolutely no idea, but by making a marijuana illegal you force people who enjoy it but,do not like the negative stigma society attaches to the drug to use untested substances like this. Making this stuff illegal will not stop babies/children/teens/adults/elderly people from getting high legally or illegally. All it will do is force them to accept society's penalties for using the drug or risk using a synthetic chemical that causes the unknown. JUST LEGALIZE THE HERB ALREADY AND CUT THIS CRAP OUT.
Thanks for listening to my rant. I really just get tired of hearing this horse crap. Instead of solving the problem, they are just making it worse. What really makes me angry is that our elected officials aren't the ones doing this. It's a bunch of unelected, law enforcement individuals who couldn't give you an honest assessment of any drug. All they are know are "Drugs are bad M'Kay".
I'd appreciate any constructive discussion or insight.
Feds move to ban chemicals used to make 'fake pot'
Washington (CNN) -- "Fake pot" products that give a marijuana-like high could be illegal in another month as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration takes emergency action to ban chemicals used to make them.
"Over the past year, smokable herbal blends marketed as being 'legal' and providing a marijuana-like high, have become increasingly popular, particularly among teens and young adults," the DEA said in a news release Wednesday.
Synthetic marijuana is made of plant material coated with chemicals that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and are sold at a variety of retail outlets, in head shops that sell drug paraphernalia and over the internet, the DEA said.
"Since 2009, DEA has received an increasing number of reports from poison centers, hospitals and law enforcement regarding these products," the DEA said.
The "fake pot," marketed under brand names including "Spice," "K2," "Blaze" and "Red X Dawn," is often labeled as "incense," White House Drug Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske said.
"Until the risks associated with ingesting these products and chemicals can be studied and understood, there is no place for them on the shelves of any legitimate business," he said.
The emergency ban will be in place for a year as federal officials study whether the products and chemicals should be permanently controlled, it said. Fifteen U.S. states have already taken action to control one or more of the five chemicals used to produce synthetic marijuana.
The ban cannot take effect until at least 30 days after the DEA notice was announced in the Federal Register, which happened Wednesday.
The chemicals, which were used in research, have not been approved for human consumption, and there is no oversight of the manufacturing process, the DEA said.
The five targeted chemicals are identified as JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47497 and cannabicyclohexanol.
I find it funny that DEA believes it can stop this type of behavior by banning the substance in question. This is honestly laughable. They did this with pot and what did creative businessmen decide to do? That's right they took a legal substance and turned it into a very profitable blend that mimicked the effects of marijuana. This blend is currently legal and does not show up a drug screening. So instead of attacking the root of the problem they will continue spinning in circles and wasting taxpayer money fighting a never ending war. I'm going to predict that we will see something similar to substance in question that is being banned, but using slightly altered chemicals thus making it legal. When will these morons learn? Please, pot is not the devil. It is not evil. It does not cause cancer nor does it kill brain cells. It won't make you a drug addict, and is safer that many legal drugs that accepted by society. However, what about the stuff in question? Is it bad for you? I have absolutely no idea, but by making a marijuana illegal you force people who enjoy it but,do not like the negative stigma society attaches to the drug to use untested substances like this. Making this stuff illegal will not stop babies/children/teens/adults/elderly people from getting high legally or illegally. All it will do is force them to accept society's penalties for using the drug or risk using a synthetic chemical that causes the unknown. JUST LEGALIZE THE HERB ALREADY AND CUT THIS CRAP OUT.
Thanks for listening to my rant. I really just get tired of hearing this horse crap. Instead of solving the problem, they are just making it worse. What really makes me angry is that our elected officials aren't the ones doing this. It's a bunch of unelected, law enforcement individuals who couldn't give you an honest assessment of any drug. All they are know are "Drugs are bad M'Kay".
I'd appreciate any constructive discussion or insight.