Cracking down on fake pot, the government began emergency action Wednesday to outlaw five chemicals used in herbal blends to make synthetic marijuana. They're sold in drug paraphernalia shops and on the Internet to a burgeoning market of teens and young adults.
The Drug Enforcement Administration responded to the latest designer drug fad by launching a 30-day process to put these chemicals in the same drug category as heroin and cocaine. The agency acted after receiving increasing numbers of bad reports - including seizures, hallucinations and dependency - from poison centers, hospitals and law enforcement, .
It was the fastest action the agency could take to get these products off the legal market. DEA spokeswoman Barbara Carreno said makers of fake pot blends like "Spice," "K2," "Blaze," and "Red X Dawn" label the mixtures as incense to try to hide their intended purpose.
Meantime, there were indications the producers were already moving to reformulate their products using chemicals not covered by the impending ban.
The fake pot - smokeable plant leaves coated with chemicals - has been the target of lawmakers and law enforcement around the country. At least 15 states have moved to regulate or ban one or more of the chemicals, as have some European and Scandinavian countries.
More...
More than 3.1 million bottles of eye drops sold at major retailers, including Walgreens and CVS,...
The abortion rate is holding steady in the US despite total and partial bans in some...
The Supreme Court sided with a Christian counselor on Tuesday in her free speech challenge to...
A new COVID-19 variant, BA.3.2, has been detected in 25 states, according to a recent report...
