Banning synthetic marijuana products is part of the solution

The announcement by the Drug Enforcement Administration that it is placing emergency controls on five chemicals found in synthetic marijuana is good news for parents concerned about their teenagers’ ability to buy chemical-laced marijuana knockoffs at a smoke shop or convenience store. But it’s only a partial solution to the problem.

Kids have been buying products such as “Mr. Nice Guy,” “K-2” and “Herbal Spice,” for more than a year, responding to word-of-mouth advertising of what came to be known as a legal substitute for marijuana. Some of the products were marketed as incense, not for human consumption, but only the most obtuse sellers did not know that their buyers’ intended to inhale.

What they were after was a high from smoking whatever organic material was in the package, laced by any number of chemicals: JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497 and cannabicyclohexanol. And the way to get that high was in a pipe or a cigarette, not an incense burner.

Some states were quicker to respond than others. At least 12 states, including Kansas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oregon, Illinois, Michigan and Kentucky passed legislation banning the products before the feds stepped in. Some cities also enacted their own bans.

No one knows what the long-term effects of smoking chemical-laced “incense,” might be, but countless young smokers, including some in the Mahoning Valley, required hospital treatment for hallucinations, breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness or nausea.

Beyond legal and illegal

Kids who couldn’t have legally bought a beer were able to buy these products from storekeepers who were eager to make a buck and could take refuge in knowing that the sale wasn’t illegal. They were happy to ignore the fact that just because something isn’t illegal doesn’t mean it isn’t wrong.

The use of synthetic marijuana wasn’t just confined to teenagers. Despite its unpredictable affect on a smoker, it was becoming popular with older users because it could be purchased legally and because its use did not show up on routine tests for marijuana. Testing, however, has been catching up, and an employee who thinks he’s been getting away with something could be in for an awakening the next time he’s tested.

All in all, the FDA action was overdue (Europe caught on to the dangers much quicker). But, as we said, banning these products is a response to the problem, not a solution.

Keeping an eye on the ball

There are hundreds of other chemical compounds that could potentially be put to the same use, and when a new one hits the shelves there will inevitably be a delay in government reaction.

Some adults will always be willing to subject themselves to chemical abuse, both legal and illegal. They are largely on their own.

But parents are responsible for their teenagers, and while the nature of the relationship between an adolescent and an adult authority figure has always been contentious, it is the duty of the adult to, well, be the adult.

Parents should be grateful that the DEA has stepped in, but they should also be vigilant. There are almost always warning signs to be observed, and it is always better for the parent to react rather than wait for the government to catch up. A lot of bad things can happen in a year.