Proposal to ban synthetic marijuana in Minnesota coming

A crackdown in Minnesota may be coming on synthetic marijuana, which is now legally sold as herbal incense.
Officials on Wednesday will announce planned legislation that would classify synthetic marijuana as a Schedule I drug and make it illegal to

By Joe Kimball

Nov. 23, 2010

A crackdown in Minnesota may be coming on synthetic marijuana, which is now legally sold as herbal incense.

Officials on Wednesday will announce planned legislation that would classify synthetic marijuana as a Schedule I drug and make it illegal to sell or possess in Minnesota.

Some cities have already considered banning the substance, and Duluth passed a ban but isn’t enforcing it pending a lawsuit.

Scheduled to attend a morning news conference with state Sen. Katie Sieben are:

Hastings Police Chief Paul Schnell
Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom
Cottage Grove Police Officer (Investigator) Dan Schoen
Cody Wiberg, executive director, Minnesota Board of Pharmacy

They’ll say that synthetic marijuana — or “Spice” or “K2” — is made up of herbs and synthetic compounds similar to THC, the natural chemical found in marijuana. They say it has dangerous side effects, including heart palpitations, respiratory issues, vomiting, agitation, panic attacks and delusions.