In the Jan. 6 edition of Florida's Sun Sentinel newspaper, columnist Nicole Brochu took the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to task for failing to take action to stop what is becoming the widespread teen abuse of a synthetic drug that simulates the effect of marijuana:
It's known on the street as "legal weed" and "fake pot," considered a sort of synthetic marijuana and accessibly sold in gas stations, head shops and convenience stores as incense. Branded under names like Mr. Nice Guy, Spice, Black Mamba and K2 and sold for as little as $15.99, the "herbal smoke blend" is in many cases clearly marked "not for human consumption," but of course, that's all just a game.
Marketed as more potent than marijuana and leaving no trace in drug tests, it is quickly becoming the drug of choice among those looking for a quick, easy high. And the law enforcement community knows it. Yet, it still sits on store shelves.
In November, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency announced that in response to the alarming rise in reported abuse of the herbal blends over the past year, it would issue within a month a temporary one-year ban on sale or possession of the products and label synthetic marijuana a Schedule 1 drug along with marijuana, heroin and Ecstasy.
But that month has come and gone without action. In the intervening silence, kids like Nancy Ferreira's boys are indulging in a new high that's all too easy to find, and paying the price.
Labels: drug-abuse, marijuana
Posted By: Aspen Education Group