Ban on Synthetic Marijuana Doesn't Solve Problem: Zaun Report

I often get somewhat partisan in my articles because of frustration; however legislation was approved that is a good example of both parties working together for a good cause.

This week the Senate passed an updated ban on synthetic marijuana, known as K2.  The drug is a synthetic cannabinoid produced for the purpose of studying how marijuana affects the brain. 

Cannabinoids are naturally occurring and control various mental and physical processes.  People have begun using the synthetic version as a recreational drug because of a similar high to marijuana.  However, K2 is also known for having other effects such as anxiety, panic attacks, agitation, elevated blood pressure, rapid heart rate, vomiting, hallucinations and seizures. 

The bill adds to the list of synthetic cannabinoids that last year’s bill classified as Schedule I controlled substances. 

Drug Linked to Suicide

The drug was linked, last year, to the death of an Indianola teen, David Rozga, who smoked K2 and then took his own life after experiencing hallucinations and anxiety.  Rozga had made recent plans for the future and made purchases for college, which he was about to start.  These are unlikely actions for someone who has decided to commit suicide, and thus lend credence to the assertion that the drug caused the suicide. 

This year more incidents have shed light on the dangers of K2.  Three East High School students in Des Moines were hospitalized in February after smoking synthetic marijuana.  More recently in our own backyard Hoover High School students were treated after using the drug over their lunch hour. 

Despite last year’s ban the drug is still readily available.  The manufacturers have simply slightly changed the chemical formula and are still selling it.  This year’s bill bans a whole host of new substances however, the public should be aware that manufacturers are already at work on finding a way around the prohibitions in this bill, too. 

Parents: The Anti-Drug

Parents are advised to be on the lookout for products with names like “Spice,” “K2,” “Cloud 9,” and “Pure Evil.”  The drug is usually marketed as potpourri, incense, or bath salts and can usually be found at gas stations and gift shops.

Unlike illegal drugs, these products can be perceived by teens as harmless or at least less dangerous simply because they are sold over the counter in such places.  They don’t carry with them the same expectation of danger that an illegally sold drug does.  They are not purchased from a drug pusher in an alley or the back of a bar, but from a local scum bag business. 

Des Moines has reacted by trying to discipline the business licenses of those that sell synthetic marijuana but this usually follows an incident where the damage has already been done.  The store that sold the substance involved in the East High incident has already come under scrutiny. 

It is hoped that the new ban will eliminate several more sources of synthetic marijuana and at least make it harder for manufacturers to come up with new substances

If you would like to contact me please email at brad.zaun@legis.iowa.gov. I am always interested in your opinion and it is truly an honor to serve you!