Synthetic marijuana and certain bath salts will soon be outlawed in Virginia.
On Feb. 26, a bill passed in both Virginia's House and Senate creating penalties for possession, distribution of synthetic cannabinoids and bath salts that contain a specific compound.
“Synthetic cannabinoids, also known as synthetic marijuana, K2, spice or Mr. Smiley, are dried herbs sprayed with a chemical compound that, when smoked, creates a high similar to marijuana,” stated in the fiscal impact statement for proposed legislation. Possession of the chemicals would become a Class 1 misdemeanor. Possession with the intent of distributing and manufacturing would be labeled as felonies.
“This year was the first time this issue was introduced as a bill before the body,” said Jane Waddell, legislative assistant to James Shuler (D) of the 12th District.
The bill was introduced by Delegate Scott Garrett (R) and Senator Mark Herring (D). One of the sponsors of the bill has been Delegate Shuler (D) of the 12th District, representing part of Montgomery County.
This bill holds an emergency clause, meaning that it will become law when Gov. Bob McDonnell signs it in April, according to Waddell.
“When this bill is enacted, Virginia will be adding its name to the list of at least 15 states that already have made it illegal to possess or sell synthetic marijuana or cannabinoids,” Waddell said.
Some outspoken opponents of the measure include members of the Tech chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
“Prohibitions of any kind don’t accomplish anything,” said Mark Goldstein, chapter president. Goldstein said SSDP lobbied in Richmond in February to combat the bill.
Goldstein believes the government is not the appropriate organization to determine what enters a human’s body, and an individual decision is vital.
Goldstein stated that regulation, not prohibition, is the key when targeting synthetic marijuana usage.
Goldstein said synthetic marijuana “should stay legal, but be more tightly regulated.”
He stated if synthetic marijuana compounds are banned, this will create a black market for the drugs. Goldstein stated this is also a danger, because the consumers are unsure of what exactly they are purchasing from a vendor on the black market and may receive a drug laced with another more potent drug. This creates an incredible risk to an individual’s health, Goldstein said.
In addition, according to Goldstein several individuals who have been smoking “spice” have been doing so as an alternative to marijuana. He believes this will create an increase in the number of students using marijuana.
“People predisposed to use drugs will find something to get high on,” Goldstein said.
A version of this article appeared in the Mar 18 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Why should political parents and parental politicians enact anything but a law of prohibition when they know that those effected will be the youth? Politicians didn't draft politicians during Vietnam. They're not about to pass a law prohibiting drugs that keep them erect for their spouses and mistresses. If they were decent parents and decent politicians, they'd be concerned with keeping their own kids off drugs and not everyone else's. I guess that takes too much effort to ask of parents these days. Why take responsibility for keeping your own kids off drugs when you can pass a law that has the police do that for you by using the same outdated criminological approach of hanging pirates to discourage piracy? I suppose their logic is that it's better to hang the youth than to hang a parent or politician.
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Marijuana is a schedule 1 substance. K2, Spice, and these other synthetic drugs will soon be schedule 1 substances. Heroin is a schedule 1 substance. Cocaine and morphine are schedule 2 substances. Anabolic steroids are schedule 3 substances. So the US government is telling me that marijuana and these similar substances are just as dangerous as heroin and more dangerous than cocaine and morphine? Look at the facts. In the year 2000 in the United States, tobacco killed 435,000 people. Alcohol killed 85,000. Illicit drug use(heroin, cocaine, amphetamines) killed 17,000. Marijuana has killed 0 people...ever. So over the course of decades and centuries, these drugs have killed millions of people, while marijuana has not killed one single person. There is also a marijuana related arrest every 37 seconds in the US. Does any of this make sense?
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I hate that statistic. Marijuana itself has killed 0 people, but many people have died from doing stupid stuff while high on it.
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please point us to the stats for the legions of dead from marijuana!
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Please point to an instance where somebody was high on marijuana and then died doing something stupid. I am not talking about somebody who has snorted lines of coke and then smoked either.
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Where is this statistic for the many people who have died while doing stupid things on it? There is none, because the people who die with THC in their system also have alcohol in their system.
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I can neither confirm nor dispute any fatalities that arose as a direct result of marijuana use. There is no data on the subject. However, what it comes down to in this case is personal responsibility. You are responsible for what you do under the influence of substances that you willingly take, whether that be alcohol, marijuana, cough syrup, etc. If doing so will affect your judgment or motor skills, then don't allow yourself to be in situations where you will do dangerous things under the influence. If you do something under the influence that harms yourself, then it is you that has assumed responsibility. If you do something under the influence that harms others, then it is still your responsibility, and thus you should be punished for it. That law should punish the actions of the irresponsible individual... not enact prohibitionist policies that don't actually stop the flow of the substance.
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Legalizing marijuana reasonably, is proven to be safer than the synthetic mock chemicals. That's ridulous about going out & KILL someone. Whoever does that is already a mentaly deranged person who has much bigger serious problems than smoking a joint....(OH - & go to kill somebody - LOL! Get real.
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Actually Marijuana has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and certain cancers. It would be incorrect to say that it has killed 0 people. It's irrelevant however because as a free society it is our right to choose reckless behavior. I'm tired of the anti-smoking crowd trying to force me outside when it's cold. Then there's the people that say I'm too close to the building and they are completely oblivious to all the cars passing by pumping smog into their lungs but somehow I'm the one giving them cancer. I blow smoke in their face and make them get security, I'm gone by the time they get back. The secondhand smoke stuff is blown way out of proportion, a single coal plant puts out more carcinogens into the atmosphere in one day than I could hope to put out in a lifetime.
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I am Calling U wrong! (over sea's is way a head of the US prop.)look it up it helps cancers maybe!
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I'm not sure what you are referring to but if it's the marijuana facts than you can disagree until you are blue in the face. My statements on the subject are fact and as much as you don't want them to be true they unfortunately are. The larger point however is that we should be free to engage in the activity regardless of the health risks. The whole point of bringing up the health risks of pot was to show that there is a danger in it's consumption. As someone that likes cigars it floors me that you pot supporters attack us when you try to advance your agendas. You say,"Well you lt them smoke and that kills X amount of people." So you know what they do, they ban both. Attacking us doesn't make pot any more legal it makes us have to buy our stuff online to avoid these ridiculous tax hikes and hide outdoors like animals when we smoke. Tobacco is all but illegal in this country and you pot smokers don't seem to think that we should work together on this one.
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It is absurd that marijuana is still pretty much illegal in this day and age. Now they are chasing down this K2 herbal incense stuff. Where will it end?? It won't. Do you know why? It's a never ending freaking cycle! There are constantly new formulations of K2 smoke coming out to get around these ridiculous bans which are trying to get around the ban on marijuana in the first place. Why do we have to be up in each other's business? This is supposed to be the land of the free and it is hardly that! If someone wants to buy k2 they will. After all the effort they have been putting into banning this stuff, http://www.k2incenseblend.com is still able to offer legal k2 incense products. I told you. Wasted money. Wasted efforts.
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