• Texas wants to stop selling fake shit, smoke real weed every day
    14 replies, posted
[url]http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/crime/stories/DN-K-2_05met.ART0.State.Edition2.2961e4c.html[/url] [release]Patrick Sibley readily admits he sold synthetic marijuana in a psychedelic novelty shop. The interior is draped with East Asian tapestries and posters of 1960s rock icons. Among the miniature Buddhas and African art pieces are the products he peddled: K2, Hush and Swerve – herbal mixtures treated with chemical sprays that experts say can be twice as powerful as marijuana. "Sometimes it gives you a benign high, sometimes it's out of control," said Sibley, 22, who says he had to test the products the Dallas store carried. The synthetic marijuana is legal in most parts of Texas and the United States. But alarmed by its growing use and easy availability, states and local governments are now scrambling to take "fake weed" off the streets. "We're drafting a bill as we speak," said State Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano. "From Allen to Richardson and Mansfield, they're all saying that K2 has become a very dangerous problem." Authorities say the fake weed appears easily accessible to teenagers. It can be bought in head shops and at gas stations – and also from anyone who can buy the chemical that is sprayed onto herbs to make the product. Seven head shops in the Dallas area declined to comment on their sale of K2. None would talk about how old – or young – their buyers are, although many shops claim to sell only to adults. According to the Texas Poison Center Network, 31 percent of calls they received about synthetic marijuana were from people under 20. [B]Real concerns [/B]Known on the streets as "spice," "genie" or "zohai," K2 is a mix of herbs and flowers sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids. Depending on the potency, it can sell for $30 to $50 for 3 grams. Sibley, who was fired from his job in February, said that in the shop where he worked, 8 percent of the store's sales were K2 and similar products in early 2009, rising to 26 percent of sales by the end of the year. The owner of another shop said fake weed sales are 15 to 20 percent of his business. The chemical compound in the spray is similar to THC, the natural active ingredient in marijuana. But it is untraceable in drug tests. Usually sold as incense labeled "not for human consumption," those looking for a high have found that smoking it is just as effective as the real thing. "People at stores are telling customers what to combine to feel the most intense trip ever," Sibley said. "They compare it to illegal drugs." Texas Poison Center Network reported 71 calls statewide from Jan. 1 to June 8 involving exposure to fake pot. Twenty-nine calls resulted in moderate to major medical issues. "I heard from a parent about a child who was on K2," Shapiro said. "The child thought he was the devil and the kids were going to do an exorcism on him. It causes hallucinations and elevated heart rate, a whole slew of effects." The compounds found in K2 and other synthetic marijuana were invented by chemist John W. Huffman in 1995 as alternatives to marijuana's THC. "I had this passing thought, 'Gee, these are pretty easy to make,' " Huffman said. "Someone might be able to replicate it." The products hit the market around 2008 and 2009, said its creator. "Apparently it was sold as plant hormone at first, and I guess someone put two and two together," said Huffman. Pharmacologist and physiologist Allyn Howlett said Huffman's compounds are useful because the compounds target cell receptors in specific areas of the body, as opposed to marijuana's THC, which nondiscriminately treats pain. The chemicals are studied to learn how cells communicate with each other as scientists research better ways to treat pain, said Howlett, president of the International Cannabinoid Research Society. They're also used to treat glaucoma and nausea. Howlett said the literature on Huffman's findings is easily accessible, allowing its misuse. "They can mimic the steps," she said. "That can be dangerous because they take shortcuts." Huffman added that his compounds have only been tested on mice, and long-term effects have never been studied. "I've heard all kinds of scary things from people who have used it," Huffman said. "But really, they don't know what they really use. They have all kinds of stuff in there, some herbs and oily stuff but it's really like playing Russian roulette when you smoke it." Shapiro said that was the problem with drafting the bill. She hopes to write the legislation so that it includes all possible forms of synthetic marijuana. [B]Taking action [/B]Local municipalities aren't waiting. Mansfield led the way, restricting the sale of synthetic marijuana to those over 21 last week. Sgt. Jon Felty of the Allen Police Department said the issue goes before the city council on July 13. Felty said K2 is not widespread in Allen, but the department has had calls regarding side effects such as hallucinations or irregular heartbeats. Until it's banned, sales will continue. A spokesman for Retro Revolution, a novelty shop that carries K2, said that as long as there is a demand for the product, the store will continue to sell it. "It's a legal product," he said. "If it becomes illegal, we'll take it off our shelves." Even then, it could thrive. "Teenagers are risk-takers," Howlett said. "They'll go out and try things, so banning them from buying it won't necessarily stop them. If they're not buying this, they'll find something else." A Dallas college student who asked that his name not be published said he used to smoke marijuana regularly, and thought he was doing his peers a favor by selling them legal synthetic pot, made from ingredients he bought online. "I thought I was keeping these people who were on probation for drugs out of jail," he said. "I did research and made sure I wasn't hurting anyone." "I don't sell it anymore," he said. "I got to an ethical boundary and just got tired of getting kids high." Shapiro, whose bill is likely to be presented to the Legislature in January, said she doesn't know whether banning synthetic marijuana will keep teens from buying or using it. "They're going to do what they're going to do," she said. "It'll be on the list of illegal drugs. They'll have to make a decision as to whether they'd like to follow the law."[/release] I'd just stick with the real sticky. Saw some in a head shop today, thought about buying it, went to the hippie outside instead and got one of the dankest nugs of dankness that the world has ever seen.
I heard that Spice shit needs to be taken in large doses, and costs much more with a less effective outcome of smoking it. Lets make harmful alternatives instead of the safest kind. :downs:
[QUOTE=Strongside;23136578]I heard that Spice shit needs to be taken in large doses, and costs much more with a less effective outcome of smoking it. Lets make harmful alternatives instead of the safest kind. :downs:[/QUOTE] They're only sold as a legal high, they know people will buy it so they sell it. The best thing to do is to stick real cannabis; it's fairly harmless.
I've tried K2, it's not special, yay for shitstorms over minuscule things
I'm kinda surprised they're so intent on making it illegal. I don't even see any real reason to do so, other then it looks like pot lol
I smoked this shit on friday. Everything was fine and dandy till I started throwing up for 4 hours.
That shit's pretty common around here. We get guys facing UCMJ action all the time for smoking it or having it in the barracks. I think the most they get is an Article 15 (extra duty, loss of pay) on the first offense. Seems like every time a new batch of soldiers come in, fresh out of basic, one of 'em will get caught with some of this stuff.
I smoked literally 3 grams of this and didn't feel a thing. Just got a bit nauseous. I'll stick with bud.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;23138808]That shit's pretty common around here. We get guys facing UCMJ action all the time for smoking it or having it in the barracks. I think the most they get is an Article 15 (extra duty, loss of pay) on the first offense. Seems like every time a new batch of soldiers come in, fresh out of basic, one of 'em will get caught with some of this stuff.[/QUOTE] I've been in the US Air Force for a year now and I totally agree. You pretty much know someone personally every few months or through a friend of a friend that is now being discharged for it. Our commander is sick of it.
Meh, it's nothing special, and comes nowhere near weed. Especially on a cost-effectiveness basis.
People are dumb and buy the K2 stuff when what they should be doing is buying the pure chemical. That is of course assuming that they know how to properly dose it. It's extremely cheap when bought directly, but the kids instead go and buy their overpriced garbage which is inconsistent in potency and either gets them no effect or they go overboard with it.
Just legalize the real deal. [editline]02:40AM[/editline] [QUOTE=Conscript;23138024]I'm kinda surprised they're so intent on making it illegal. I don't even see any real reason to do so, other then it looks like pot lol[/QUOTE] Because all drugs are bad for you and will kill you :downs:
[QUOTE=Strongside;23136578]I heard that Spice shit needs to be taken in large doses, and costs much more with a less effective outcome of smoking it. Lets make harmful alternatives instead of the safest kind. :downs:[/QUOTE] Marijuana outlawed in 3027, Spice smugglers on tatooine become more violent.
[QUOTE=Conscript;23138024]I'm kinda surprised they're so intent on making it illegal. I don't even see any real reason to do so, other then it looks like pot lol[/QUOTE] The article said that some people got medical problems from it. Maybe it's just some acquired anxiety syndrome, but still. I'll stick with weed, even if I might get in shit for it.
[QUOTE=gunvalk;23138890]I smoked literally 3 grams of this and didn't feel a thing. Just got a bit nauseous. I'll stick with bud.[/QUOTE] I can't even imagine smoking 3 grams of weed at once... yet alone some grass clipping sprayed with shit that's probably toxic.
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