Officials from the Idaho Office of Drug Policy have asked the oversight board of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to ban a substance known as “Spice” or “K2,” which they say results in marijuana-like highs and significant health risks.
In addressing board members, Caitlin Zak, an aide in the Office of Drug Policy, said Spice is an herbal incense mixture that is popular with youth and those on probation or parole due to its availability, marijuana-like effects and its ability to be undetectable to typical drug screens.
Health officials say the problem is how manufacturers skirt regulations to keep the substance out of the regulatory eye of governments. Because it is packaged with a label that specifies it is “not for human consumption,” Zak says agencies like the Food and Drug Administration are unable to regulate the sale of the substance.
A dozen states have taken some type of action against the drug. Legislatures in nine states have passed laws to ban the use of cannabinoid – the liquid used to spray the incense to allow it to produce a high. Independent pharmacy and drugs boards in three states have enacted statewide rules outlawing the drug.
In Idaho, a ban can be enacted by either the Legislature or state Board of Pharmacy. (IdahoReporter.com)
