Can they get away with this? This doesn't seem right at all.
IMO, this should not be happening. They are using a loophole to arrest people for something that is legal, for the moment.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...etic-marijuana-herbal-smoking-blends-packages
October 26, 2010|By Gary Taylor and Kevin P. Connolly, Orlando Sentinel
Law-enforcement agencies in Polk County plan to be the first in the state to crack down on the sale of so-called synthetic marijuana products sold under names such as K2 and Spice.
Florida's Drug Policy Advisory Council recently urged the Florida Legislature to join 11 other states in banning the substances, but since that hasn't happened, Polk County authorities plan to use an existing state statute that makes it illegal to sell imitation controlled substances.
At least initially, only those selling the products will be targeted, said assistant State Attorney Chip Thullberry in Bartow.
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The products, usually sold at small gasoline stations and mom-and-pop food stores, are sprayed with synthetic "cannabinoids" and can be purchased legally in Florida and most other states as incense.
"These synthetic marijuana products are not just being sold to adults throughout Polk County, they are routinely sold to our kids," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "K2, Spice, or whatever this stuff is packaged as, is being sold as incense or potpourri, but the sellers clearly know it is being smoked with the purpose of getting high.
K2 comes in more than a dozen aromas, with fruits such as grape, orange and strawberry, and names such as Summit, Blue, Pink and Standard. It is sold in retail packages of 3 grams, usually for about $15 a package.
The substances are packaged as "herbal incense" or "potpourri" and warnings on packaging state they are not intended for human consumption. The packages contain herbs, spices, and various types of dried plant material sprayed with chemicals
"Because the wholesalers are telling retail stores that it is 'legal' to sell this drug, we are providing this warning to stores in Polk County: stop selling this product today, or you will be arrested for selling an imitation controlled substance, a third degree felony," Judd said.
"The compounds in Spice work on the brain in the same way as marijuana's active ingredient, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol," Judd said. They primarily affect the central nervous system, he said.
There is no requirement to list packaging contents or ingredient amounts because the product purports that it is "not for human consumption," Polk County authorities said.
The same stores that sell K2 usually sell herbal smoking blends that look similar to marijuana. They are sold under brand names such as Zohai, Jamaican Gold Bud, Orange Krush, Black Magic, Serenity Now, California Dreams, Armageddon, King Krypto, Spike 99 and Bombay Blue. Sizes of the packages vary but can be as small as 1 gram for $15 or more.
Researchers have observed that when smoked, synthetic cannabinoids can deliver a high similar to marijuana, officials said. Consumption of synthetic cannabinoids causes impairment of human motor skills and changes the ability of a person to perceive, reason and understand.
According to University of Florida Pharmacologist Dr. Tonia Werner, the synthetic cannabinoid chemicals found in K2 have "psychotropic effects which can cause motor impairment and changes in their cognition."
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The American Association of Poison Control Centers reported in September that synthetic cannabinoids have spurred more than 1,500 calls to U.S. Poison Control Centers in the United States so far this year.
The Haines City Police Department has joined the Sheriff's Office in the crackdown.