Georgia Bans K2, A Synthetic Marijuana-Like Substance
Lawmakers in Georgia recently took the lead in a nationwide debate regarding K2, as Georgia become one of the first states in the country to ban the substance completely.

June 19, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Lawmakers in Georgia recently took the lead in a nationwide debate regarding K2, as Georgia become one of the first states in the country to ban the substance completely. K2, also called Spice, Genie or Zohai, consists of chemically-treated spices which mimic the effects of marijuana when smoked in joints or from pipes.

Although the substance remains legal in nearly all states, lawmakers and medical professionals across the country have started examining the substance more closely, and nearly a dozen states are now considering a ban of K2. However, such proposals are very controversial, and this substance is likely to be a subject of debate for some time to come.

Arguments Supporting the Ban of K2

Supporters of the new law suggest that the prohibition is necessary for public health and safety reasons. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, who signed a law banning the drug, reports on his 2010 campaign website, "K2 is a potent drug that can be difficult to detect." He went on to state that, "Adding it to our state's banned substances list will protect Georgians' safety and health."

Clemson University chemist John Huffman, a research professor whose graduate students synthesized the substance in his lab 15 years ago, says the chemical may be harmful.

Anthony Scalzo, director of Missouri Poison Center in St. Louis, notified poison centers nationwide about K2 after doctors reported patients sickened from it. Since Scalzo's notification, poison centers nationwide have reported 352 cases of people sickened by the substance across 35 states. According to reports, people under the influence of K2 may experience rapid heart rate, dangerously high blood pressure, severe agitation, vomiting, seizures, hallucinations or paranoia, and other reactions.

The Georgia Poison Control Center reported nearly 50 calls relating to synthetic marijuana since the beginning of the year. Advocates of the ban voiced concern that the use of K2 can cause health problems and is becoming rampant among young people.

Arguments Opposing Such a Ban

Many opposed to the new law question the necessity and the effectiveness of such a ban. Steve Elliott, Editor of online magazine Toke of the Town, points out that K2 only weakly mimics the effects of marijuana because it contains a synthetic cannabinoid related to THC. Moreover, he calls into question whether the Georgia law came in response to medical emergencies linked to the drug. Instead, he cites fear-mongering and love of publicity as a more realistic incentive.

Even assuming that there is a legitimate public safety rationale for the ban, those opposed to the ban express concerns about the enforcement of such prohibitions. As Grant Smith of the Drug Policy Alliance warns, "[w]hen lawmakers consider regulating K2, they should keep in mind that the government has waged a futile war against marijuana and people who use the drug for decades."

Since he believes law enforcement not to have control over the drug market, Smith continues that criminalizing K2 will only worsen the devastating harm society suffers under drug prohibition. That is, rather than regulating the supply and ingredients of K2, criminalization leaves the question of what goes into the product entirely up to drug dealers.

As a practical matter, criminalization forfeits state revenue that could be raised from K2 sales. According to a USA Today article regarding K2, Kansas medicinal herb store owner Natalie McAnulla reported that when the store started selling K2 as part of a collection of incense, sales skyrocketed from $1,000 a day to $10,000 a day. Furthermore, criminalization ties up taxpayer dollars in investigations and prosecutions of K2 users.

The Future of K2

This debate is not only occurring in Georgia; states across the nation are addressing this debate. At present, 11 states have banned or are considering a ban on K2. While the debate may make its way across the many states or resurface in Georgia at the hands of lobbyists, in the meantime, Georgia has drawn the line with a flat, categorical ban of K2.

Anyone who has been arrested for or charged with a K2 offense should contact a criminal defense lawyer with experience handling drug crimes. An attorney can offer assertive protection of a defendant's rights when facing possession or distribution charges.

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