Posts tagged "Synthetic Marijuana"

A store in Wilmington allegedly had more than 1,400 packages of the drug known as "Spice" (also referred to as synthetic marijuana) removed. Apparently this was part of an ongoing investigation involving both state and federal law enforcement officers.

It is claimed that the street value of such synthetic marijuana would be in the area of $30,000. No drug trafficking arrests have yet been made concerning this matter, but charges may be pending against the store owners.

South Carolina may soon follow in the footsteps of North Carolina by banning synthetic marijuana and bath salts. If a ban occurs, getting caught with synthetic marijuana or bath salts will likely lead to drug possession charges, with very similar consequences.

Synthetic marijuana (street name "spice") and bath salts are two recreational drugs that have been in the news lately. As Shelley Smith reports for the Salisbury Post, a number of incidents involving these drugs have surfaced, leading the North Carolina legislature to pass laws against possession and use of both spice and bath salts.

Spice, for example, is synthetic marijuana, but a charge of spice possession would be similar to typical marijuana possession. Smith reports that spice has a low abuse potential, and will be classified as such.

In January we reported that North Carolina legislators were considering a statewide ban on synthetic marijuana. The bill to make the drug illegal has passed in the state House but is still pending in the senate. However, that point is now moot as an emergency federal ban has just gone into effect.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) exercised an emergency power to ban 5 of the most common chemicals used to make synthetic pot. This ban now makes the sale of these five chemicals illegal in every state. It is unclear if possession or use has been criminalized under the DEA's ban.

Synthetic drugs seem to be the newest contentious issue in the legal battle against drugs. We recently posted about North Carolina's proposed ban on synthetic marijuana. Now a new synthetic drug has hit the streets and another statewide ban is not far behind.

The drug is arguably more of a household product which is being abused as a drug. The chemicals are packaged and sold in the form of bath salts, and have names such as "Blue Silk" and "Vanilla Sky." The state senate has already approved a ban on the drug which makes use or possession illegal.

Synthetic Marijuana is a drug that has been around for about a decade. It mimics the high of regular marijuana but does not contain the same chemicals. Synthetic pot goes by several names including "Genie," "K2," and "Spice."

The drug has gained a lot of attention in the last couple years. A federal attempt to outlaw its use has so far been unsuccessful but more states are beginning to ban synthetic pot. It is currently legal in this state but North Carolina lawmakers have just announced a new bill that would change that. If it passes, any resident who buys, sells, or possesses synthetic marijuana could face drug charges.